Hold Me Tight
by jerikataryn
Summary: Beth and Daryl have escaped together. They're both determined to find the rest of the group, but it's not that easy. In this world, they run into more than a few problems - one of them being romance. Can Daryl and Beth survive or will they fall victim to the apocalypse after all? Bethyl.
1. Starting Over

"We gotta go, Beth. We gotta go," Daryl said, eyes steady on the petite blonde in front of him. She peered back at him with large, blue doe eyes. He could see she was scared. Despite everything that happened that day, Beth took off in a jog with Daryl. The Governor was dead, Daryl had seen Michonne slay him with her katana.

This was going to be all over, for the most part. Everyone was fleeing. The prison wasn't a suitable place to stay anymore. And with all the gunfire and tank blast the Governor had brought, every walker within a ten-mile radius was on their way there.

As Daryl and Beth ran away from the prison, he noticed the bus was gone. They fled without them. He didn't know how many people were on the bus, or how many people didn't make it. Beth noticed the same he had. She tore her eyes away and only kept running. It wouldn't help now to cry, they weren't safe just yet.

"Go, Beth," Daryl pushed her forward gently. He slowed his pace only a bit so now she was in front of him. They tore into the woods without another glance back to the prison. Daryl kept his crossbow at the ready, willing to keep Beth safe with all he had.

They kept running for a while until Beth couldn't go any further. "Daryl, we have to slow down," she gasped. She gulped down air as she leaned forward onto her knees. Daryl stood beside her, a hand on her back as he scouted the area with his eyes. Beth was aware of his hand on her back, but didn't think anything of it. She liked Daryl.

He let his hand drop as she straightened out. "How far do you think we went?" She asked, pushing back sweaty hair from her forehead.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "It's hard to tell. We should keep going until we find somewhere to stay for the night. It will be getting dark soon," he said. Beth nodded, agreeing with him. Together, the started to trek through the woods again.

Beth had pulled her revolver out of her back pant's pocket and held it in both of her hands, muzzle pointed towards the ground. She stared up at the tops of the trees, trying to tell what time of day it was. She knew it was early afternoon when the Governor had showed up and they have been traveling for an hour or two. "Daryl, what are we going to do?" The reality of what had happened early was catching up to her.

She was separated from her sister, Judith and her father – her father was gone. He was slain at the hands of the Governor. She couldn't let herself be weak in front of Daryl; she already knew what he thought of her – weak and frail. She swallowed her tears and kept moving. "We're going to find them," Daryl said, stealing a glance to look at her.

Both Daryl and Beth tried to believe his words, but it was hard now. The group was scattered and in a frenzy. Up ahead, Daryl had spotted something between the trees. He touched Beth on the shoulder. She looked to him and he held up a finger to his lips. Instinctively, Beth raised her gun, arms straight and one hand cupping the other like she was taught.

Daryl took small and calculated steps as he approached the house. He peered through the window, his eyes frantically searching the inside. The sun was falling lower in the sky and this was his best hope for surviving the night. Beth followed behind his silently, careful to point her gun anywhere but on him.

He waved her on to the sliding glass door. He slid it open but didn't venture inside. Instead, he tapped on the glass pane with the tip of one of his spare arrows. If there were any walkers inside, they would be attracted to the sound. Minutes passed and Daryl tapped once more. Again, they waited but no walkers pursued them.

"This should be good for the night," Daryl said. "Since we don't have any water or food we can start in the kitchen. You look around while I secure the rest of the house," he said. Beth nodded and tucked her gun into her waistband. Daryl closed the door behind them and she ventured into the kitchen with Daryl.

He quickly secured the room and set off to the rest of the house. Beth threw open all the cupboards at once and set all of the food down on the cupboard. There was a load of canned foods mostly and a few warm bottles of water in the fridge. It was better than nothing. Daryl stilled hadn't returned by the time she was finished raiding the kitchen.

She wasn't worried; she hadn't heard any signs of a struggle. She leaned against the counter, fiddling with one of the cans in her hands and reading the nutrition facts on the label. She was reading her third can when she heard Daryl approaching. She straightened up, abandoning the can on the counter. "The house is secured," he said. "There's two bedrooms upstairs, one for each of us," he continued.

Beth splayed her hands around her stash of food. "This is all I found for water," she said, defeat tingeing her voice. Daryl picked up one of the water bottles. He shook it, half empty.

"It's alright, this is just one house. We're in a development; the other houses will have more stuff. We'll go look in the morning," he said. Beth nodded. She looked at Daryl, noting just how tired he looked. She then glanced to one of the windows, it was dark.

Beth wandered away from the kitchen into what had to be the living room. She gazed out the window, watching a few walkers shamble down the road. She shivered. "We should get to bed. It's been a long day," Daryl said from behind her.

She turned away from the window and followed him up the stairs. Daryl led her down one of the hallways and nudged open one of the doors. "You can sleep in here. It's safe. I'll just be down the hall in that room," Daryl pointed to a door diagonally from hers. She nodded once again.

"Goodnight, Daryl," she wandered into the room. Before she shut the door she looked back to him. "And thank you." Daryl gave her a curt nod before disappearing down the hallway. Beth shut her door and stared curiously around her temporary room. It was bland, lots of white and tans.

It was clearly a girl's room, though, and probably the reason why Daryl had given her that one. The bed was neatly made, a plush bunny rabbit lying on the pillow. Beth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She tried to keep her mind from wandering to her sister and her father.

She wandered over to the dresser, pulling one of them open. There were fresh and clean clothes inside. Whoever lived in this home before the outbreak must have not had a lot of time to flee. She rummaged through the rest of the drawers before finding a set of pajamas.

Beth stripped off her sweaty and blood stained clothes and dressed in the pajamas. They were pastel colors, the bottoms being a little short for her and the shirt showing a strip of her stomach. They were good enough for just the night.

She looked at herself in the mirror above the vanity. Big, round eyes and a dirty face with sunshine hair. She pulled her hair tie out and let her tresses tumble down to her shoulders. Beth then climbed into the bed, the mattress hard and cold. It felt nothing like her home.

Looking out the window one last time, she counted the walkers on the street. She lost count easily. The longer she counted, the more they morphed into the image of her father. A white beard, an amputated leg, suspenders and kind eyes.

Pain bloomed throughout her. She curled over onto the bed, the image of her father as a walker long gone. Tears spilled over and fell onto the bed. Sobs racked through her chest as she cradled the gangly bunny to her.

She needed time to grieve, to let herself come to terms with what happened today. She was strong, but everyone had their own weaknesses. She didn't hear the door crack open. Daryl had heard her cries from down the hall. He argued with himself if he wanted to go in there and comfort her or let herself deal with it on her own.

But just way her cries tore through him; he already had the answer in his head. He wandered down the hallway, hesitating to knock, but just opened the door a crack. She was a sight for sore eyes. She looked like a rag doll whose clothes were a size too small.

Daryl wandered inside and paused at the foot of the bed. He had never had to comfort anyone like this, except for maybe when Carol first set eyes on Sophia when she wandered out of the barn. Even that was different. Beth was barely an adult.

Daryl approached her, sat on the bed and laid a hand on her thigh. "Beth?" He asked. She jumped at the feel of his hand on her leg. He didn't mean to scare her. He drew his hand back. "I'm sorry, Beth," he said, softening his gaze as she looked up to him.

She hiccupped as she sat up, wiping her tears away. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this." Daryl shook his head, but opened his arms. Beth, almost reluctantly, crawled into them. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "It's okay to cry. But just know that I'm here for you. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'm going to get you back to your sister. I promise."

Beth sniffled and wiped away another stray tear. "Thank you, Daryl," she said. She was barely aware that he was wearing a wife beater and old jeans. But she felt strangely comfortable with him. He resisted the urge to lean his head down and bury his nose in her hair. But this moment didn't call for that. "I think I'll be fine now," she said.

Daryl nodded, loosening his grip. Beth pulled away from him as he stood up. She tucked her toes under the blanket and slid farther underneath them. Daryl retreated to the doorway and closed it until he heard the lock click.


	2. Temporary Home

Daryl rubbed his eyes free of sleep. The bed he slept in wasn't very comfortable, but it was better than the thin prison mattresses they had before. He stretched, kicked himself free from the tangle of blankets and dressed in his old clothing. He didn't bother to snoop through the closet; he was satisfied with his own clothing.

He pulled on his socks and his boots and kicked the door open. Beth's door was already open. Beth had been awake already. A shock of nervousness ran through his body. He knew how he left her last night, and he knew Beth's past track record of slicing her wrist open; he hoped she hadn't done anything rash. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself for leaving her.

He took the stairs two at a time, but stopped at the foot of the stairs. Beth was in the kitchen, wrangling open a can of food. Her head snapped to the sound of him. "Oh, morning, Daryl," she said, turning back to the can in her hands.

Daryl wandered over to where she was. "I was trying to open these peaches, but they just won't budge open," Beth explained through gritted teeth. Daryl only chuckled, but took the can from her. He easily turned the can opener and the can opened.

Beth huffed, but was thankful. "Peaches for breakfast?" Daryl asked, only slightly amused. Beth nodded.

"You got a better idea?" Daryl shook his head, rummaged through a drawer and found two forks. He handed one over to her and they shared the can of peaches then. They would have been better cooked, but they weren't in the best of luck that morning. They had nothing to wash the can out with so Beth trashed it. "I was going to look for a backpack or something so we could carry this with us."

Daryl was looking out the window. "It looks pretty clear out there. I was going to go to the next house over and see if it's clear," he said.

"I want to go with," she said. If it was just going to be the two of them, Beth needed to pull her weight. She wasn't comfortable with only Daryl being the one put in danger. "We're a team," she added. Daryl only stared at her with even eyes. He was making up his mind.

He sighed, but agreed. He slipped a knife out of his belt and held it out to her. "Use this, not your revolver. We don't want to attract any more than what's out there now," he said. "But we might want to find a backpack first to carry our rations back here."

"I'll check my room and you check yours?" Beth asked, reaching out and taking the knife from Daryl. He nodded and motioned for her to go first. Beth trudged up the stairs and walked into her room. She ransacked through her closet, finding only small handbags. She found one with a longer strap, almost like a messenger bag but more feminine.

She slung it across her body, it was better than nothing. She wandered down the hallway to Daryl's room. He had the place torn into pieces. Random articles of clothing were scattered around the room and shoes littered the floor. "I could only find one backpack," he said, pushing off his knees.

"I found this bag," she said, holding it up to him.

He nodded, "let's get going." Daryl walked out of the room leaving Beth to follow behind him. Beth squeezed the knife as they made it back down the stairs and back out the sliding glass door. Before they started across the lawn, Daryl stopped her. "If we get separated, we meet back here, okay. You lock yourself in your room and don't open it for anyone but me," he said.

Beth blinked up at him. It scared her to think about them getting separated. She had felt so safe back at the prison; she thought the life of venturing out into the unknown was done for her. "Okay," she agreed.

Daryl aimed his crossbow ahead of them as he started across the lawn separating the two houses. He peered into the windows as he approached the back door. Unlike the house before, it didn't have a sliding glass door. Instead, it had a regular door with only a small window at the top. Daryl tried the doorknob and it twisted open.

He swung the door open but didn't enter. He once again slipped one of his unused arrows out and tapped on the hardwood floor. There was a noise in the house. Daryl looked back to Beth. "Wait here," he said and started into the house.

Moments passed by and Beth finally heard the fire of Daryl's crossbow. Not once, but twice. Beth looked anxiously behind her. "Come on, Beth," Daryl said, returning to the door. "It's clear." Beth stepped into the house and closed the door behind her.

She wandered farther into the house and observed the two dead walkers lying on the dining room floor. She couldn't help but noticed they wore matching wedding bands. Beth adverted her eyes quickly. "I'll search the kitchen why you look around again?" Beth asked, looking to Daryl.

"Yeah," he said, lowering his crossbow and walking across the house. The layouts of the two houses were almost exactly alike, only flip flopped. Beth threw open all the cupboards; most of them empty except for a few boxes of cereal or crackers.

She opened the fridge to investigate. There was a jug of water and a half empty water bottle. She pulled them out and set them on the counter. Daryl had returned with another gun and a box of ammo. "This is all I found," Beth said, almost embarrassed.

Daryl set the gun and ammo down next to the cereal – an image Beth never thought she'd see. "All I found was this under the bed," Daryl said. "We can put it in your bag and the rest in my pack." Beth nodded, taking the gun and made sure the safety was on before she stuffed it into her bag with the ammo.

"Should we move onto the next house since there wasn't much here?" Beth asked, moving out from behind the counter. Daryl looked around the house once more.

"I guess we could. Just this one then we need to find a car," he said. Beth didn't feel the need to say anything. Daryl stuffed the boxes of food into his pack along with the jug of water. Beth led the way out of the house, knife poised in her hand.

She twisted the doorknob and stepped outside. Instantly she was being grabbed at. She hadn't realized what it was until she heard the hoarse hissing of the walkers. "Daryl!" She exclaimed, tumbling to her knees. The walker fell on top of her and Beth struggled to get him off of her.

Suddenly, an arrow flew its head and almost struck Beth in her face. The walker fell silent on top of her. She pushed him off her. "Run, Beth!" Daryl yelled to her. It only took Beth a minute to see how many walkers had surrounded them. Beth got to her feet, knife in hand and took off running but slammed into another walker.

This time, she fell on top of the woman. Beth quickly stabbed her knife into her skull, not wanting to take any chances. She felt too vulnerable. More walkers were shambling towards her. Beth stood up and took off running again, successfully this time.

She ran through the small stretch of grass separating the houses without another look back to Daryl. She felt selfish, but it was what he instructed her to do. Beth threw open the sliding glass door and shut it quickly, careful not to lock it. Walkers didn't know how to open doors and Daryl was coming in after her. _Hopefully._

She tore up the stairs and into her bedroom. She closed the door and locked it. She dashed to the bed and flung herself on it, scooping the bunny up in her arms. Beth buried her face into the pillows and tried to calm her breathing down.

Her thoughts ventured to Daryl. Why hadn't they seen the walkers before they went out? And more importantly, where had they all come from? Daryl and Beth were quiet. Beth was getting worried. It had only been minutes since the attack, but it felt like hours. Beth's heart still hammered inside her chest.

It was only moments after her heart returned to normal that the banging on her door started. Her heart rate spiked again. "Beth! It's me, open up!" Beth's eyes flashed to the door. It was Daryl!

She dashed off the bed, unlocked the door, threw it open and saw Daryl standing there. He was covered in a layer of blood, guts and filth. That didn't stop Beth from flinging herself at him. She pressed her cheek into the hollow at the base of his neck, smearing her cheek crimson.

Daryl was taken by surprise but wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. "I'm glad you're okay," she murmured against his skin. "I was scared."

"I'm glad you're okay, too," he said, looking down to her blonde head of hair. Beth pulled back, looking up to him. "You had every reason to be scared. It's okay, Beth."

She nodded. "Did you… um, you know, get bit?" She asked. Daryl shook his head. Relief instantly washed over her. "We need to find that car and get out of here," she said.

Daryl couldn't help but agree with her. "We should get washed up. I don't want any of that blood around your eyes," he said. Without thought, Beth reached up and touched her cheek. She hadn't thought before pressing her face against him.

The pair made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Daryl set his eyes on the kitchen sink. Even though he doubted it worked, it was worth a try. He lifted the handle and waited a few second, but no water poured out of the spigot. He returned the handle to its original position.

His gaze then landed on the half empty water bottle. Beth saw where he was looking; she grabbed it before he could. "Daryl, we can't use that. We have to drink that," Beth said, holding the bottle behind her back. If Daryl wanted the bottle, she fully knew that he could get it, but again, it was worth a shot.

Daryl stared at Beth, silent. "I know. You're right, Beth. But we need to get that off your face. Our only other option is spit," he said, licking his thumb out of habit. Beth nodded, setting the bottle back down on the kitchen top.

Beth closed the gap between them so there was about a half a foot left. "Go ahead, clean me up," she said, closing her eyes. Daryl laid a hand on her shoulder to steady her and then started to wipe away the drying blood from her face.

It only took a few swipes from his thumb to rid her small face of the blood. "All done," he said, letting his hand drop to his side. Beth opened her eyes and stared up at Daryl. His face was still spattered with blood.

"Now it's your turn," she said. Beth pushed up onto her tiptoes as she licked her thumb and reached for Daryl's face. Unlike Beth, he gazed down at her as she wiped away the blood from his face. He stared into her cool blue eyes, though she wasn't looking into his.

She pushed his hair off his forehead and wiped around his eyes and down into the scruff of his beard, around his mouth. With one last pass, Beth was finished. "You're good," she said, returning back to her own level and wiping her finger off on her jeans. "Now for the car," she said.

Daryl huffed. "Now for the car," he said. "That's the hard part. All the batteries will be dead for the most part. I could try to hot wire one if we could find one with a good battery or semi decent spark plugs," he said, pulling his backpack on.

Beth nodded, acting as if she understood what he was saying. "No idea, but keep talking," she said, laughing under her breath. Daryl cracked a smile, but only a small one. Beth was growing on him, and quickly.

He clasped her shoulder. "I'll teach you how to hot wire a car once we're safe and out of this area, how's that sound?" Daryl asked. Beth nodded and smiled. "But for now, I'll stick to the dirty work." With that said, Beth and Daryl escaped out the back door, leaving their temporary home for good.


	3. Never Back Down

The hot sun beat down on the back of Beth's shoulders as they walked. The tip of her ponytail tickled the span between her shoulders as it swished back and forth. Daryl was scanning the area in front of them. They had made it to the other end of the neighborhood, ending up in a cul-de-sac.

A few cars were parked around the bend. "That one looks alright," Daryl said, motioning to an SUV with his crossbow. Beth nodded and they approached it carefully. Daryl walked around the backside and tried the doors. They opened easily.

He peered inside, seeing no evidence of walkers. Beth popped the trunk and found a few things they could use. There was a small fleece throw blanket, a heavy-duty flashlight with a separate battery and a toolbox. Whoever had owned this vehicle was probably a construction worker of some sort.

"We got a toolbox, a flashlight and a blanket," Beth said, pulling the items out and setting them on the top of the car. Daryl nodded. Those items would be useful.

"Tools can also be used a weapons," he mused. "We'll take some of the tools that I know we'll use, but leave the box. We can use the blanket and the flashlight," he said. He walked around to the front of the SUV and splayed his hands over the hood. "Pop the hood, would yah, Beth?" He asked.

She walked away from him to the driver's side door. She pulled the handle and opened it with a small scream. "What is it?!" Daryl asked, skirting around the front and settling right beside her. Down by the pedals was a decapitated head, a pool of dried blood blooming around it.

Its jaw still worked up and down, eyes trained on the both of them. Beth shivered. If it's head was still here, where was its body? Daryl unsheathed his knife and stabbed the walker head. The knife still in its head, he let it drop to the ground and kicked it away. "Just don't think about it," he said. "Pop the hood," he said, returning to the front of the SUV.

Beth reached into the car and pulled the lever for the hood. Daryl lifted it up and surveyed the inside. He pulled and tugged on a few things, seeing it the battery would work. Beth peered over the side but couldn't really see without standing right beside him.

She sauntered around the side of the SUV, hands stuck into her back pockets. "So, is it able to run?" She asked, watching Daryl work. Already, his hands were black with dirt and oil.

"Her battery seems alright. All the wires are good and it seems in good sorts. The only way to find out is to hotwire her," he said, slamming the hood shut. Beth jumped at the sound of it. "Keep a look out while I do this," he said.

Beth nodded and pulled her revolver out again, aimed at the ground. Daryl slid into the driver's side floor on his back. He grabbed the steering column and ripped the paneling off. He felt almost embarrassed in front of Beth because he knew how to do this. But he was good at it, and it came in handy.

He then located the two red wires and striped them and twisted them together. He touched the exposed ends to the brown wire and the engine ignited. "Success," he said. He struggled into a sitting position on the seat and revved the engine so it didn't stall. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah," Beth said, jogging over to the other side of the car. She tucked her gun into her waistband again. She then placed all the items from atop the car and put them in the backseat. She threw herself into the passenger seat and looked to Daryl. "So, where are we headed to? I don't even know where to start…" She said, her voice trailing off when she realized that.

Daryl gripped the steering wheel, knuckles growing white. "I think we should start around the prison, even though it's dangerous to return. But it's our best chance to find the others. They might have left some kind of sign, some kind of trail. I could track them," he said, eyes flashing to Beth.

Her eyes must have had fear in them for Daryl continued. "The governor is dead, Beth. He won't be coming for us anymore. But some of his help might be around still. We don't know how many of them got killed," he said.

Beth sighed, but agreed. "It's the best and only place we have to start," she said. With their plan of action mapped out, Daryl put the car into gear and pulled out of the cul-de-sac. A few walkers were attracted by the sound, but couldn't keep up with their speed.

It had taken the pair of them almost half a day to reach the house the day before. But with a car, they had reached the prison in less than an hour. The ride there was silent, both of them refusing to turn on the radio and enjoy themselves. It wasn't time for that. They had stolen glances at each other, but mostly Daryl kept his eyes on the road and Beth stared out at the fields.

Soon enough, they saw the prison rising in the distance. "Beth, do yah know how to drive?" Daryl asked her as they were approaching the gates. The tank had driven over the gates, but they weren't about to risk getting a flat tire to follow in that path.

"A little bit. Otis taught me a little back on the farm with his truck," she said. Daryl nodded and slowed the car to a stop. "What are you doing?" She asked, turning to look at him.

"We have to get into the prison through the gates. I don't want to risk you going out there to open them, so I will and you drive through. Don't stop for me," he said, swinging his door open before reaching back for his crossbow. "C'mon, Beth. It'll be fine," he said.

Reluctantly, Beth slipped out of the passenger side and walked in front of the car, the pair looking at each other evenly as they passed. Beth slid into the driver's seat and put the car in drive. "Tap the gas and pull through evenly," Daryl coached her.

Beth did as he said and the SUV lurched forward smoothly. Beth smiled and Daryl cracked a smile. "When we get close to the gates, only slow a little and I'll jump out," he said. Beth looked at him wildly. But she did as he said.

They were much closer to the prison's fence now and Beth eased her foot of the gas pedal. Daryl nodded at her before throwing his door open and jumping out. The place was crawling with walkers, inside and out. But they had to carry through with their plan until it got too dangerous.

Daryl dashed towards the gate and pushed it open, easily avoiding some of the slower walkers. Beth drove through easily. Though she was through the gate, clean and safe he hadn't exactly told her what to do when she was finished.

She locked her doors as the walkers approached. They leaned over the car hood, clawing broken fingers and scratching at the paint job – anything to get to her. They pawed at her windows, rotten teeth and chewed up lips, diseased eyes staring at her.

Beth shut her eyes, tears springing free. She took a cool even breath; she knew Daryl would come for her. _If he wasn't already dead. _She shivered the thought away and pulled out her revolver, just for the need to feel something in her hands.

But she wasn't going to give up that easily. She would do anything to lure the walkers away from Daryl. She set her revolver on her lap and threw the car into reverse. She floored it and rammed over several walkers before slamming it back into drive and speeding away.

Her eyes searched frantically for any sign of her partner anywhere. But there was none, everywhere she looked was the undead. Without thinking, Beth drove up to the main annex of the prison and put the car in park. She fumbled for the tools in the back seat, grabbing a wrench, screwdriver and hammer.

She tucked them all into her belt loops except for the wrench. She tucked her revolver into her waistband and then dashed for the car, leaving the door hanging wide open. She darted through the longing hands of the walkers, wanting so desperately to forget the sounds they made.

Beth darted inside the prison, throwing the heavy iron door closed behind her. She sagged against it, hearing them bang against it. She knew there was no chance of them getting through it. But still, the hissing and moans had not subsided.

The walkers were inside and slowly making their way towards her. There wasn't many, but it was enough for the small Beth who had little to no experience with killing walkers. Instead of running the other way like she would have done before, Beth took a running start towards them.

If she learned something from Daryl, it was to never back down. She slammed the end of the wrench into the first walker's head again and again until the skull broke and brains and blood oozed out. She ran forward, slamming into the other walker and tumbling to the floor.

Beth was running high on adrenaline and wasn't backing down now. She grabbed both ends of the wrench and brought it down across the walker's face, splitting it in two. It had taken her too long to put this one down, the last walker was already grabbing at her with firm fingers.

Tears sprung to her eyes again. She willed herself to get up, to push the walker off. But she was sure that her nails had broken Beth's soft, pale skin. And she cried, thinking her life was over, that she hoped Daryl would live through this outbreak. That he would grieve too much for her death.

Even if she was infected now, she pushed the walker away, hair covering the undead woman's face. Beth stared at her in surprise. There was something familiar about the woman who wanted kill her, to make her what she already was – a walker.

Beth turned and ran down the hallway, away from the familiarity of the girl following her. It made chills run down her spine. As she ran, Beth ran her hands over her shoulders, over her arms, not feeling any broken skin. Somehow she felt ecstatic, knowing her life wasn't over. And was happy that she valued her own life so much.

But in her newly found happiness, Beth hadn't taken notice to the rubble littering the ground ahead of her. She stumbled, cutting her shin open on the shards of rock she fell over. Beth screamed out in pain, but picked herself up again, not wanting the walker to fall on her again.

She pushed her away as she came close. The girl pursued her again but Beth shoved her away and the hair fell from the girl's face. It was her sister. It was Maggie.

**Thanks so much for your support on this story (: Who is ready to see Daryl's point of view of this whole situation? This chapter was a lot of fun to write!**


	4. Not The Same Beth Greene

Daryl had been lost in a mob of walkers. He was lucky that he had kept his knife on his person; he surely wouldn't have had enough arrows. He had saw Beth drive up to the annex but had to tear his eyes away.

He couldn't let his mind preoccupied on her for long or he would have been overtaken. He exploded into action, tearing his back away from the fence. He was wasting time with killing the walkers; instead he pushed and kicked them away.

He dashed through the field, mind and thoughts going crazy when he saw the walkers overtaking the SUV. He pushed himself further, sinking his knife into skulls when they wandered too closely to him and couldn't push them away.

Daryl hoped and prayed that Beth was all right in that SUV. He was nearly there. Walkers still beat against the car, reaching inside the wide open door. Daryl halted in his tracks. His mind was racing with one name repeatedly. It was like his own heart beat. _Beth, Beth, Beth, Beth. _

He had finally reached the SUV. He pulled the walkers back one by one and stomped their heads in, skulls cracking easily under his boots. Yet before he did, he checked for the signature blonde hair and blue eyes. He paused, shoulders heaving up and down, matching the tone of the door ajar beeping.

He kicked out at the door. He threw open the backdoor and took time to think. Beth wouldn't have given up that easily, he knew she wouldn't. His eyes searched the backseat – the tools were missing. And in that moment, Daryl knew she was alive.

His eyes flashed up towards the annex entrance. There were more walkers at the door, beating against it. Daryl jogged over and took out his knife again. He easily put down all the walkers, not caring if he stepped on one as he struggled to get the door open.

Walkers piled around the path of the door, he kicked them away. As he darted inside, he almost tripped. There were dead walkers inside as well. His hope was still alive. His eyes followed the path of the hallway, seeing a small patch of blood at the end, near a pile of rubble.

Daryl darted forward and he stooped down. Without thinking, he drug two fingers through the blood, still warm and sticky. He couldn't help but think it was Beth's. It wasn't near any walkers, so where did it come from?

Daryl rounded the corner and almost stumbled for the second time. Another dead walker lay on the ground. An obvious wound crushing half her skull. But he couldn't believe it, it was Maggie. In that moment, his searching became more frantic. He knew Beth killed her and he knew what she must have been feeling.

She lost her father and sister in the matter of two days. An idea bloomed inside his head. Beth was a sentimental person and there was only one other place inside this prison that she would have wanted to go.

He turned the corner and barreled down the hallway. He was two cellblocks over from the one where he wanted to end up. He knew exactly how to get there; it was just the matter of getting there in time.

He flew through the hallways, turning left and right and sometimes going up or down small flights of stairs. But he had finally come to his destination. Daryl pushed open the gate of cellblock C and jogged over to her cell.

There weren't any walkers in the cellblock and he was glad. His heart still pounded in his chest, but it was slowing. Beth was inside, curled up to as small as she could get. In her arms, she was crying into a certain bunny that looked familiar to him. But he couldn't ignore the blood staining her shin and the very top of her sock.

"Beth!" He exclaimed, running forward. Her watery blue eyes opened wide, drinking in the man in front of her. "Beth! Are you alright?" He asked, kneeling down in front of her.

She couldn't find the words to tell him that she wasn't. She sobbed as she studied his face. "I have no one left," she said, tearing her eyes away from him again.

Daryl couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. But she had to keep going. She couldn't give up, not in this world. Daryl leaned forward and grabbed her chin. "Hey, you look at me," he said roughly. He didn't care if he was being a little tough on her; she needed to hear what he had to say.

"You have me. Now I don't want you to say anything like that again. We have each other and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You _cannot_ give up. You won't give up. I won't let yah, you hear me?" Daryl said, eyes blazing against hers. "Now what's this with your leg?" He asked, tugging on her ankle slightly so she extended her leg.

Beth hiccupped before answering. "I fell. On some rocks, I'm okay, Daryl. Really," she said, tucking her leg back again. "There's a first aid kit in my desk. Top drawer," she said, her eyes landing on the desk.

Daryl followed her gaze and stalked over to her desk and pulled open the drawer. It was a small kit, white with the customary red cross on the lid. There were bandages, gauze, butterfly stiches and antiseptics inside.

He would have wished he had time to wash his hands before catering to her, but he would have to ignore it. He dabbed most of the blood away and then spread some of the antiseptic on the short cut. It was short, but deep.

Beth hadn't winced until Daryl started to put the butterfly stitches on. He pulled the skin taunt on one side of the wound and fixed the other half of the stich across from it. He secured two more before being satisfied with his job. "All done," he said, clasping her knee.

His eyes flashed up to hers. He hated to see her so sad, so drained. "Ready to go, Beth?" He asked. She shook her head, avoiding his gaze once more. "We can't stay here. It's crawling with walkers. We can get out of here together, go somewhere new and start over," he said.

Beth wasn't one to get angry, but the way he was talking to her was making her mad. It was an emotion she rarely felt. "Daryl. I don't want to start new. I don't want to do anything. My family is gone and I should have been with them," she cried.

Daryl almost cursed under his breath. Beth was a tough one to crack when her mind was set on something. "That's not true and you know it," he started. "Your family is staring you right in the face. I'm not going anywhere. And if you chose to not accept that, I don't know what else to tell you," he said. And he wasn't lying.

Beth looked outside her cell and then to the other side as if she was making up her mind. "It'll never be the same again, will it?" She asked, her eyes settling on Daryl's.

Daryl shook his head. "It won't. I'm not going to lie to you, Beth. I remember when I first set eyes on Merle as a walker. It was like my whole world died away. All I did since before I met you was to get him back. And I did, but I was just too late," he said. Beth's eyes were still trained on him.

"I promised you I would get yah back to your sister, but I never meant it to end up like this. But we can move past it. I remember when I came and told yah about Zach. And how you told me that you didn't cry anymore," he said. His eyes flashed up to meet hers again. He swiped at her chin. "Where's that girl?"

Beth shifted forward, stuffing her bunny back into her bag and wiping away her tears. "She's still here," Beth said. She scooted off the bed and hugged Daryl, squeezing him tight as if she would never hug him again.

As if she hugged him tighter the past two days would disappear. But she couldn't kid herself like that. Daryl hung onto her, his breath making her hair dance. He began to pull back but Beth only gripped him tighter. "Don't let go," she said.

"I won't." And he didn't. This was their pledge. Their pledge to keep each other safe, to stick together, to never leave each other and to make it through this world. They still had a chance to find Rick and Carl and the others. But her hopes of finding Maggie alive were gone.

And Beth liked to think that now she could be fearless. That she no longer had something to live for. But she had her constant reminder that she did, and she was holding onto him for dear life. Finally, she pulled back, hands still resting on his arms. "Now, are you ready to tackle this world?" He asked.

Beth nodded. Daryl stood and offered her his hand; she took it and stood beside him. "Let's get outta here," he said, starting for the door.

"Wait," Beth said.

"Beth…" Daryl said, starting to object but she just shook her head. Above her desk was a corkboard with photos pinned to it. She wanted only one of them. It was of her and Maggie and Hershel. She placed it in her bag, resting against the bunny rabbit. She wanted it to remember their faces, but also to keep her going. She wanted it so she would survive. Her own motivation.

She stared at her belongings one last time. This part of her was no more. The little girl that didn't know how to kill walkers, the little girl that only took care of Judith. Daryl watched silently as she let that part of her go. He couldn't help but be proud, but also feel a little sad too.

Beth turned towards him, eyes connecting for only a second before she strode past him and out of the cellblock. She was ready for anything this world threw at her and Daryl was there to help her along. Together, they would beat this world.

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**I really enjoyed writing this chapter and how we see the character development in Beth. She finally let's go of her family and realizes that she has Daryl as her new family. And the same for Daryl, he fully realizes that Beth is his and he would do anything to keep her safe. I especially love the end. Who is excited to see how this changes Beth in the chapters to come? Anybody have any ideas on what's to come? **


	5. Little Mistakes

**This chapter is kind of all over the place, and I'm not satisfied with it. But I needed to give you something to read. Also, it's short. But the ending isn't too shabby. Please review (:**

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Daryl and Beth stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the door leading out to the prison yard. They were working out their plan of action, and thoroughly this time. "…So I will take care of any walkers that are out there still while you run to the car. You turn it around and wait. The walkers will overrun you again but just keep inching forward," Daryl explained. "And wait for me."

Beth nodded. Daryl positioned himself against the door, ready to throw it open when she was ready. Beth nodded and Daryl threw his weight against the door, sunlight burning the girl's eyes. Without hesitation, she burst forward, Daryl right on her heels.

The walkers that were earlier beating down the door were now more widely dispersed. Instantly, they were on the pairs scent. "Go, Beth! Get to the car!" Daryl shouted at her. Beth darted through the narrowing crowd of undead.

Some hands reached for her and were successful but weren't strong enough to drag her to the ground. She so desperately wanted to look back at Daryl but that wasn't part of the plan. She had reached the SUV, drawing some of the walkers away from the annex and away from Daryl.

Quickly, Beth scurried into the car and shut the door and locked her own door manually. She started the car just as the first walker appeared at her window. She ignored his wanting fingers and backed the car up, swinging the rear end out to the side.

She then inched forward slowly, drawing the walkers along with her. Once the walkers started to pile up on the car, Beth tapped the gas pedal and moved forward. She was getting antsy, waiting for Daryl. But what was taking him so long?

Beth tried to look back through her rearview mirror, but all she saw was the undead. Beth inched forward again. But not as many walkers came back to try and get to her. She knew it was Daryl, taking them out one by one.

Now that she had noticed it, she saw them being dragged back against their will, arms still longing for Beth. And suddenly, Daryl was climbing into the passenger seat. "Drive, Beth!" He exclaimed. He didn't have to tell her twice. Beth hit the gas and sped down the gravel drive towards the gates.

Daryl had left the gates open upon their arrival. "So that worked out," Beth said as they drove farther away from the prison. Daryl nodded silently. "What was taking you so long to get to the car?" She asked, glancing at him.

He was fiddling with something on his crossbow. "I was checking the weapons bin again. I grabbed some of the bigger guns out of it when the Governor came, I was rechecking that there was nothing in it," he said. He sounded disappointed.

Beth tore her gaze away. She decided to change the subject. "Okay. So we got outta there. Where to now? I don't think we should go back to that house," she started. "I know you're most comfortable in the woods but I'm–"

"Not," Daryl said, cutting her off. "We'll find somewhere," he sighed, still tinkering with his crossbow. "We need water, that's what we need." Beth nodded, agreeing. Beth couldn't help but think there was something different about him.

"And gas if we're going to keep this car," she said. This time Daryl nodded. "Why don't we try to find a gas station? There's gas and probably still some water and food left. It'd be a good place to stay for the night," Beth suggested, raising her eyebrows for Daryl's feedback.

Daryl threw his crossbow in the backseat and turned to look at her. "Sometimes I forget how smart you really are, Beth," he said. Daryl didn't want to admit to her that he had no idea where to start. He knew Beth was looking to him for direction and he didn't know what to do to please her.

If it were up to him, he would hide out in the woods. It sounded bad in his head, but he wouldn't have gone looking for the group. He would have returned to the prison to see if anyone stuck around, but after that he would have kept to himself.

Daryl is a sensitive person. He would feel abandoned by his group, silly enough to think that way, but that was just who Daryl was. Beth pulled him out of his thoughts by asking him a question he didn't quite catch. "What?" He asked.

"I said, do you want me to just keep going along this road?" Beth repeated herself. Daryl nodded, staring out the windshield. "Beth, look out!" There was a walker in the middle of the road that Beth had not seen.

Beth swerved quickly, throwing both of them against the left side of the vehicle. She hadn't hit the walker, but the tires were squealing in protest. She was afraid they were going to pop. Beth quickly tried to regain control of the car, her heart hammering up into her throat.

Daryl braced himself as she straightened the car out again, eyes peeled to the road in front of him. "All this clear road and I almost manage to hit the one thing in it," Beth shook her head in disgust. Daryl laughed – actually laughed.

"You are a piece of work, Beth Greene," he said. The afternoon had gotten away from them in idle chat, talking about this or that. Daryl was surprised at how well he was getting along with Beth. He knew he was a reserved person, but talking to her just came so easily.

"The sun is starting to go down," Beth said idly.

Daryl nodded. "I know, we'll find a place soon. Just keep your eyes peeled to the signs for any rest stops or anything," he said, watching a sign fly by them. Silence had fallen upon them again. It was growing on becoming awkward when Daryl spotted another sign. "There," he pointed. "Rest stop and fill up station," he read the sign aloud.

"Next exit," Beth mused. She crossed the lanes of the highway and approached the exit carefully. Off the side of the road was a small brick building with a pumping station off to the side for the big rigs that it was originally built for.

She knew there was always one pump for smaller vehicles, whether it worked or not anymore – she didn't know. Beth pulled into the parking lot and parked the SUV, not caring if she was in a parking space or not.

The pair of them hopped out, weapons at the ready and set inside. The innards of the building were like any other typical rest stop. There was a Sbarro pizza, Subway, McDonald's, gift shop and lots of vending machines. "I think we should stick together," Beth said.

"Yah scared?" He asked. Beth just glared at him. "Nah, it's alright. We'll stick together and grab what we want," he said, waving to her over his shoulder to follow him. "Let's work clockwise."

Together Beth and Daryl cleaned out most of the food places not encountering any walkers. They were in the gift shop, bags heavy with food and water. Beth trailed her fingers along the row of key chains, looking for her name. "Well, we're still in Georgia," Beth said.

Daryl nodded, looking at her from across the room. He was looking for a novelty bottle opener – something useful. Beth pulled one of the cheesy tourist sweatshirts off the rack and stuffed it into her bag, along with a knock-off pair of Keds.

She was picking at things nonchalantly. A camera, a notebook and a pen, sunglasses – things she thought she would need. Daryl picked out the bottle opener, flashlight, extra batteries, and some basic medicines like Tylenol or aspirin. He saw the way Beth was looking at everything.

He knew her birthday was coming up in the late summer; this was the ideal place to get her something nice. Daryl walked over to the jewelry section, not knowing a thing about what kind of stuff Beth actually liked. He had seen her wear earrings before and that was his best bet.

He picked out a pair of earrings, small and one single diamond decorating each stud. He slipped it into his bag without her knowledge. "Ready to set up camp?" He asked. She nodded, a vacant look in her eyes.

"Where should we?" She asked, weaving her way through the aisle to meet up with him. "Here's our best bet. It's closed off from the rest of the building," she said. Daryl nodded.

"We'll fuel up tomorrow and head out to the next rest stop," he said. She nodded. They had nowhere to sleep but the floor and it was already dimming inside the gift shop. Beth slid down the wall and lay over, resting her head on her bag. "Goodnight, Beth," he said as he lay down across from her.

"Goodnight, Daryl," Beth answered, letting herself slip away. It had only been a few hours that Beth was asleep when Daryl woke her, a hand over her mouth.

Her initial shock went away when she saw his familiar eyes looking down upon her. He held a finger to his mouth and removed his hand from her face. "There's people inside," he whispered, pointing to flashlights bobbing about outside the gift shop. "Maybe we can escape without them seeing us," Beth whispered, fear blooming inside her.

She knew what this world did to people – it changed them. Daryl was about to reply when the flashlights grew nearer. And then he heard the familiar tingle of the bell hanging over the door. They had entered the gift shop.


	6. Stolen Kisses

The pair had taken refuge behind the checkout counter. Daryl had instructed Beth to stay down and out of sight. If one of them were going to survive, Daryl was making sure it was going to be her. He had his crossbow poised in his hand, ready to shoot if need be.

Daryl tuned everything out and tried to listen to the people who had walked in on them. He heard the scuffs of shoes and hushed whispers but couldn't make out any words. He followed the flashlight beams, narrowing it down to a group of three.

Beth cowered below him. She vowed to herself only yesterday that she would become fearless and here she was hiding behind Daryl at the first sign of danger. She cursed under her breath. She tugged on Daryl's pant leg. He looked down to her. "What are we going to do?" She breathed.

"We have to wait them out," he said. "If they leave without seeing us we're good. But if they spot us you stay out of the way," he whispered back to Beth. Reluctantly, she nodded. She hated that Daryl was the one always in the way of danger. But if they were going to get out of this together, she would have to listen to him.

Daryl went back to watching the group. They were moving closer to their hideout. Daryl had caught sight of them. It was three men, rough bears and burly arms and also wielding guns. It was the exact opposite of what he wanted them to be.

He ducked down again, not wanting to risk being seen. His eyes locked with Beth's. "Just stay quiet," he cooed. Beth nodded, not wanting to make any sound anyway.

Daryl's brow furrowed. What were they looking for? Why would they be searching at night when the walkers multiplied? And then he heard them speak. "The car wasn't there this morning. They've still got to be here," the one said.

It was a smooth voice, one that reminded Beth of Rick. They were moving towards the side of the room, which opposed the checkout counter. Daryl nudged Beth quietly and motioned for her to follow him.

Beth crawled on her hands and knees, placing each of her movements silently on the floor. Daryl crept forward on his feet, his crossbow still lethal in his hands. The room was pitch black except for where the intruder's flashlights illuminated. But they were probably already getting accustomed to the dark.

They were almost to the end of the checkout counter when Beth's knee hit a stool. It skidded across the linoleum floor and radiated throughout the silent room. She closed her eyes, hoping they hadn't heard it but she knew they had. "Just come out now and we might consider being nice," they called out.

Daryl turned and looked at Beth, a strange and distant look in his eyes. Beth couldn't take it anymore. This was the last time that Daryl was putting himself in danger for her safety. "Follow my lead and take them out when you can," Beth whispered. Daryl frantically shook his head, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he watched Beth stand up.

The flashlights settled on her body. "Well, looky here," one of them smiled to his cohorts. They were turning it into a game. Beth knew she had to move away from the counter or they'd find Daryl and her audacity would have been for nothing.

Beth reached down deep inside her and looked up. She sauntered from behind the counter, batting her long eyelashes. She didn't exactly know what she was doing, but she was going along with it. "I thought I heard someone in here," Beth replied smoothly.

The closest intruder to her raised his eyebrow. "Then why didn't you come investigate?" He shifted his weight to his left leg while moving the hand that wasn't holding the flashlight to his hip. It came to rest on a pistol that was holstered to him.

Beth didn't hesitate. "Could have been a walker. Wanted to be completely sure before I shot," she said. She walked over to one of the rotundas of postcards and spun it lazily. She didn't want to take her eyes off of them, but she needed herself to come across as unafraid and uninterested. "Whatcha here for?" She asked, eyes flickering back to the trio.

She kept moving away from the counter, wanting their attention to be set on her and not where Daryl hid. But he was no longer hidden behind the counter. As Beth was talking her way through the situation, he had slipped out from behind the counter.

He was skirting around the room silently, crossbow trained on their sides. He planned to make it all the way around them before he attacked. He needed to make sure that Beth was out of the way and the only way to achieve that was eye contact.

"Are yah alone?" The man asked Beth.

"You didn't answer my question," Beth said.

"And you didn't answer mine," the man replied easily, a sadistic glint in his eye. Even though it was dark, he seemed to shine as he smiled at her. "Are you alone?" He asked again.

Beth kept her eyes down on the floor, watching her feet as she took sure steps. Every step she took, Daryl did too. "I'm alone," her eyes flickered up again, meeting with the man who did all the talking. He looked back to his buddies who had become all smiles.

Though Beth should have felt some kind of fear, she didn't. She knew Daryl would do something before they had the chance to touch her. Daryl's veins were on fire. His skin was hot and he wanted to kick something. He couldn't image anyone touching Beth like that without her consent.

He knew when the world had turned to shit, the people had too, but he never imagined it to go this far. Or maybe he just avoided the thought. He was going to act fast, but he wasn't in the position he wanted to be – directly behind them. No chance of them seeing him at all.

"What's your name, darlin'?" The man asked, starting to walk towards her.

Beth didn't want to look at him as he approached. He had paused in front of her, flashlight trained on her chest along with the man's eyes. She wanted to instantly cover herself but she stood her ground. "Leslie," she said, still looking at the pistol on his hip.

The man curled one finger under her chin and tilted it upwards so now she had no choice but to gaze at him. "Wanna have some fun, Leslie?" Her alias fell of his tongue gracefully. The flashlight traveled down her body, pausing in a very personal place. Beth kept her eyes even with his but caught something behind his shoulder.

It was Daryl. He was poised behind the other two intruders, his eyes trained on hers. She knew it was time to make her move. "Only if I'm calling the shots," she said. "And I am," Beth said grimly and shoved him away.

His eyes instantly turned to rage and he raised his hand to strike her but it only fell limp as the arrow flew through his head. Daryl had taken out the other two before Beth could even process that he did. She looked to him, his shoulders heaving up and down in anger.

He walked the distance between them in three strides. His hand settled on her shoulder, but he'd rather it on her cheek. "Are you okay?" He asked. "If that fucker would have touched you even once I don't know what I would have done," he continued, seemingly unable to look at her even though that was the only thing he wanted to do.

"Daryl, I'm okay," she said, trying to realize her own words. She knew what their own intentions were when they first set eyes on her. It was always what they wanted – it was a no-brainer. The world goes to shit and all the men worry about is getting some tail; all the men that don't have a brain, that is. "We got through it."

He looked down at her, not through her but looking really at her. It was the first time that he had realized that he had cared about her. Genuinely cared about Beth Greene. He had thought before that he was obligated to care, obligated to take care of her when they were split from the rest of the group because that's just who he was.

But looking at her in this moment, he realized it was because it was his choice. He could have abandoned her that first night, but he didn't. There was always something in the innocent Beth Greene, and he hadn't known what it was until now.

She was a fighter. She was shy and timid and previously depressed. If she was still depressed, Daryl didn't know. But he had remembered how catatonic she went at the farm and how she went to the extreme of slitting her wrist.

But she had realized that she made the wrong decision, and Daryl was glad that she realized how much she wanted to live. She was a fighter that was always taken care of because everyone around her thought she needed it. Daryl knew otherwise. Beth knew how to take care of herself and knew how to survive.

Things like that you are born with. Like Daryl was. He was born a fighter – being born into the family he had, he had to be a fighter. He was lost in her blue eyes, a shade that he would never soon forget. One that he wished he would never forget. "We did make it," he said. His voice was husky.

It sounded different to Beth. Suddenly, his close proximity became more prominent to her. And she was okay with it – she wouldn't want anyone else this close to her besides Daryl. Without thought, Daryl had moved his hand from her shoulder up to her cheek.

Her skin was soft beneath his calloused fingers. Beth wanted desperately to close her eyes and revel in his touch, but she didn't. She knew how delicate Daryl was and closing her eyes would have been like shutting him out.

Beth smiled softly and reached up to cup her hand over his on her cheek. Before she knew it, the words were out of her mouth. "Kiss me," she whispered. Daryl hesitated, the age gap screaming 'no' at him in his head, but he did anyways.

His lips crashed down on hers. Any apprehensions that he had before dissipated at her taste. He had no doubt in his mind that the others were gone and they wouldn't find them so it didn't matter. The world was gone and along with it were its rules. If they wanted to be together, they could.

Their kiss was fueled with fire. Daryl's hand slipped from her cheek and travelled down her arm, finding the small of her back and pressed her against him. Beth's hands knotted in his hair. She was losing herself in him. This wasn't her first kiss, but it was the best one she's ever had.

She had stolen kisses before the apocalypse hit and she had kissed Zach plenty of times, but nothing was quite like this. And she liked it. She pulled back and looked up to him. She wanted to be able to rest her forehead against his, but she was a half-foot shorter.

Daryl wanted so badly to smile, but that wasn't who he was. It didn't feel right to him to smile and he couldn't look into her eyes without feeling bad because of that. He detached himself from her and wandered to the three dead bodies, ripping his arrows free from their heads like he was ripping his own heart out of his chest.


	7. Death's Wake

**I am so sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I had come down with a cold and felt really crappy and also my work schedule has been crazy. But anyways, again, I'm not very satisfied with this chapter. I've been having a bit of writer's block as well, so hopefully you enjoy this chapter!**

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Beth couldn't help but stare after Daryl. He hadn't done anything wrong in her terms, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. Her shoulders slumped forward and she looked away from him. Her tiredness was starting to take over. But another thought bloomed in Beth's mind.

The car. If three people have seen it, it's possible there are more people out there who know it's not supposed to be there. "I'm going to move the car behind the building," Beth said, starting to stalk to the door, stooping to pick up one of the still-lit flashlights.

Daryl jogged over to her. "Don't be ridiculous, there's walkers out there. You'll get overrun," he said, touching her elbow gently. Beth almost wanted to glare at him.

"You can't stop me," she said, backing away from him. Something about the way he retreated from her earlier and now struck a nerve with Beth. She knew he was a hard person to deal with when it came to feelings, but she had feelings too.

And he better well remember that she does. She pulled the gift shop door open, signaling the bell and sauntered through it. Daryl looked after, conflicted if he wanted to follow or not. Beth pointed her flashlight in front of her as she slipped her revolver out.

She knew it wasn't the best weapon to have at night, but she would have to make do. She paused at the doorway to the outside world, peering through it. She could see a few walkers that she could easily take out but that would only draw more in.

Beth knew she was going to have to make a break for it. She took a deep breath. She wasn't small and cowering Beth anymore, she was brave and fearless Beth. She clicked off the flashlight and pushed open the door.

The walkers were just shambling about as she darted out the door. On cue, the undead had sensed Beth venture outdoors. They stumbled towards her but she easily avoided them. She threw open the door and closed, shoving the locks down.

Beth hadn't realized that Daryl had shut the car off when they arrived at the rest stop. Beth was going to have to hot wire the car. She looked between her legs and, sure enough, the two red wires were hanging down.

Beth shut her eyes and tried to look back to the day that Daryl had hotwired the car. It wasn't that long ago but it felt like weeks to Beth. Thoughts raced through her mind in a jumbled mess. Beth decided to give up on trying to remember and grabbed the two red wires anyway.

She paused with the two red wires in her hand, ready to touch them together when the window burst open. One of the walkers had broken through. Beth screamed out as the glass shattered over her body, littering it with small cuts.

The man's gangly arms reached through the small opening, a small line of blood streaming out of his mouth as he gaped at her. Beth scrambled away from the man and into the passenger seat. All her apprehensions about using her revolver at night dissolved when the moment called for it.

She aimed the handgun at the man crawling through the window and pulled the trigger. The shot went through his brain and he slumped instantly, and then slid out the window only to be replaced by another dead woman. Her hair was a greasy mess and old lipstick smeared out of place around her bloody mouth. Beth cringed away from her but pulled the trigger again.

She had missed. Her breath came through her mouth in ragged gasps as she cowered against the passenger side window. Her shots were attracting more and more walkers to surround the vehicle. Beth hadn't noticed but she had started to cry. She didn't know why she thought she could be fearless. It just wasn't her.

The undead woman was reaching for her with split fingernails and empty eyes. Beth wanted to wipe away her tears but she ignored the urge. She raised the gun again, the sight wobbling to and fro from the woman's face. She shot again and hit the woman in her forehead.

She too slumped out of the window, again replaced by another walker. Beth shot again and again, taking out two more walkers but they just kept filtering in. Beth aimed once again and pulled the trigger but nothing happened. She clicked the trigger back again but no sound or shot came. She had run out of ammo.

Beth dropped the gun to the floor and cradled her face in her hands. She was weaponless. She wept into the cracks of her fingers. She had taken in the tools with her earlier, making sure they weren't to be stolen and it was a dumb mistake.

She was going to die. This was going to be her last day alive on earth and she knew it. But what she didn't know was that Daryl had heard her shots. He heard the first but thought nothing of it. But then when the second, third and fourth came he became worried.

But when the fifth never came and in turn Beth's scream did, he panicked. He loaded his arrows into his crossbow and took off running towards the SUV. He could see Beth's dark form inside the truck as she cowered away from the women.

She kicked at them but couldn't keep them away. Daryl took out walker after walker and then unsheathed his knife when his arrows had all been used. He stabbed the undead as they turned their attention to fresh meat.

Beth looked up as Daryl reached for the lock and slid into the driver's seat. "How 'bout we don't try to fearless no more, got it?" He asked. Beth mindlessly nodded, she wasn't going to try and be brave anymore. She was better off as she was before.

Daryl reached for the two red wires, touched them together and revved the engine when it ignited. "Pull the car up to the door, I've gotta get my arrows and then we're hightailing it outta here," he said quickly, jumping out of the car again.

It was almost as if the moment before had never happened. Like it was back to the old times of good conversations between friends. Beth scrambled into the driver's seat and sped up to the door. She crawled out of the SUV and let it idle and she followed Daryl inside.

He was grabbing at his bags and slinging them onto his shoulder. Beth did the same with the little belongings she had collected from the past few days. "Let's go," Beth said when she had everything she needed. Daryl nodded and jogged out of the rest stop, leaving the three bodies behind as the only indication they were ever there. "You can drive," Beth said. "I need some time to think."

Daryl looked longingly at Beth. He thought how she might feel. Like she only ever messed things up, but that wasn't true. If it weren't for him, she would never have been in that position. She was alone and scared and fighting for her life and Daryl wasn't there. He had put her there and he wasn't there until the last minute.

They both jumped into the car and turned onto the highway. Beth pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She idly picked at the loose threads on her butterfly stitches.

Daryl looked over to her and watched for moments at a time. He wanted to think it was a rare sight to see Beth like this – lost in a world of her own. He wanted to know what her thoughts were but he didn't think he deserved to ask today. Not over what happened just hours ago.

They had been driving for a while before Daryl had the courage to speak up. "How's your shin? We'll need to change those bandages when we find a place to stop and find a new car," he said. He looked to her again but made sure to watch the road.

Beth didn't move but looked at him. "It's alright. It's starting to scab a little," she said, still picking at it. "But Daryl," Beth started again. "Where are we going to go? What are we going to do? Everyone we go something bad happens."

Daryl braked and eventually stopped the car at Beth's questions. "We're going to keep going, Beth," he said. It was the only thing he could say at the moment. He knew Beth was sheltered for most of the apocalypse at the farm and inside the prison but that lifestyle was not happening again anytime soon. "We're gonna keep going until we're safe, until we find the others."

She nodded, looking down. "You don't have to lie, you know?" Beth said flashing her blue eyes to Daryl's. "I know we're not going to find the others." Daryl settled back against his seat and ran a hand over his beard.

Eventually he spoke, "I know." It was time that Daryl admitted it to himself and Beth believe it as well – that the group was split for good. If they we're going to find each other, it would have been done already. But it was just the two of them now. Daryl and Beth.

Daryl clasped Beth's knee and smirked ruefully. "We're gonna kick some ass, me and you," he said without a reply from Beth, only a small smile played on her lips. He took his hand back and started to drive again, watching the sun rise over the hell they were still learning to live in.

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**Any suggestions on where to take the story? I kinda liked the interactions between Daryl and Beth in this chapter. Leave a review please (:**


	8. A Taste of the Old Life

**I'd like to thank the people that reviewed my last chapter and told me some things that I could improve on. Hopefully the changes I made in their journey satisfy you! This chapter took me no time to write. Leave a review please (: Anyone opposed to some smut happening…? (;**

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It was a new day. They had rolled down Beth's window and a cool breeze was running over their skin. It was almost as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Beth almost smiled as she shielded the sun from her eyes. This was as close to perfect her life had gotten in a year and a half.

She looked to Daryl; one hand on the steering wheel, the one at his mouth. He squinted through the sun's rays. "Hey, Daryl," Beth said, her hair whipping around her face. He hummed at her. "Do you ever think the world will go back to normal?"

Daryl was silent for a long while. Then he shook his head. "Nah. You remember what Rick said; once we die we will return. The disease is already inside everyone. Unless we learn how to control, I don't think so," he said.

She wasn't expecting him to be honest with her, but she was glad she was worth the truth. "I think it's possible," she said. "Once we get all the walkers put down," she said.

"Even then, Beth. The world as we used to know it is no more. No electricity without generators, no hot showers nothin'. We won't have real meals or anything. All the scientists, the president, everyone important has died or turned," he said. He didn't want to sound rough with her, but she was talking childishly. He took a deep breath to keep his angry impulses in check.

She settled back into her seat and propped her feet up on the dash. "Whatever," she huffed under her breath. Daryl smirked at her. They had gone for a while more before Daryl pulled over. "What are you doing?" Beth asked, sitting up straight and stared at him.

"I gotta take a piss," he said, leaving the car running but grabbed his crossbow out of the backseat. Beth rolled her eyes but sat back against the seat again as Daryl crawled out of the car. There was a little gully off the side of the highway which he descended before he unzipped his pants to relieve himself.

Beth peeked at him curiously from inside the SUV but felt awkward. She averted her eyes quickly before he saw her watching him. She looked out the front of the car towards where they were headed. There weren't any road signs anywhere to indicate how far they were from a rest area.

However, there was something near the horizon, the morning sun obscuring what it was. Beth leaned forward as she squinted, trying to get a better look at it. Daryl finished up and hiked back up the small hill. He opened the door and startled Beth. "You scared me," she said, holding a hand over her heart.

Daryl chuckled. "Do you have to go? We probably won't stop for awhile, yah might wanna go now," he said. Beth nodded and hopped out of the car. She went down into the gulley where Daryl had gone but not in the same place.

She couldn't take her eyes off the object in the distance. She pulled her pants down and squatted as she went to the bathroom. She finished up quickly and jogged back to the vehicle. "Hey, Daryl," she started. "Do you see that?"

Beth was pointing to the object in the distance. There was a plethora of things it could be. It could be a survival stop or just other survivors. But it was something out of the ordinary. Daryl nodded. "Let's go check it out," he said.

He threw the car in gear and they were off from their pit stop. As they got closer and the sun disappeared behind a hill, Beth's heart dropped. Daryl got the chills and let his foot off the gas for half a second before pressing it down harder. It was the bus.

Daryl didn't even shut the car off before throwing it into park and jumping out of the vehicle. Beth was soon to follow, gun in hand and right behind Daryl. "It's the others," she said. He nodded as they rounded towards the front of the bus. "But it's empty. Where'd they all go?"

It was true that it was empty. Something must have happened to them. Daryl threw his crossbow on his back and wedged the folding glass door open. They both ascended the steps and paused to look at the state of the bus.

When they originally inherited the bus from the prison, it wasn't in the best condition, and still it wasn't the prettiest vehicle out there. Though, there wasn't something quite right with this picture. The stuffing was ripped out of some of the bus seats and there were belongings strewn all over the place. "What happened?" Beth breathed.

They moved farther into the bus, checking each seat for someone left behind; but there was no one. Daryl ran a hand through his messy hair and turned to look at his companion. "Something happened here. It's not like them to leave all their belongings behind and run. Let's collect what we can and haul it into the car. Then we'll set up camp and stay for the night, see if they come back," he said.

Beth nodded and turned back to the mess strewn across the bus. She covered the front seats and Daryl was scavenging the back. Beth was piling up useful things in the very front seat – water bottles, medical supplies, food and other survival things. She had found a tent and a few sleeping bags.

Daryl had found mostly weapons thrown about and a few rounds of ammo. He found some blankets, lanterns, clothes and more food. They had hauled everything they found into the SUV except for the tent. "Don't you think it'd be safer to stay in the truck?" Beth asked, unfolding the sheets of material.

"Nothing is really safe out here," he said. "Not out in the open, but we have no choice right now," he said, pulling at the fabric. Beth let the tent's flaps fall from her hands and resorted to fitting the poles together for the tents frame.

She almost had all the poles connected when she decided to speak her mind. "What do you think happened? Walkers?"

Daryl wiped sweat off his brow and paused his working to answer her. "I'm not sure, but it was somethin' abrupt. We're gonna have ta keep an eye out tonight," he said, returning to his work. About ten minutes later and they had constructed the tent.

"I can work on getting everything inside situated while you work on building a fire?" Beth asked. Daryl nodded and they both went to work again. Beth's shirt was starting to stick to her back with sweat, but she wasn't about to take it off in front of Daryl. All she had on underneath was her plain baby pink bra.

The tent wasn't very spacious, but it was enough to fit two people. Maybe not comfortably, but two people could still fit inside. She dragged the two sleeping bags in the best condition into the tent and laid them out.

Beth then fixed a lantern to the top of the tent, hanging off one of the poles holding the tent up. She spread the blankets that Daryl had found out on top of the sleeping bags, even though they probably would not need them. They hadn't found any pillows so the spare sleeping bags would work perfectly fine.

She exited the tent and found Daryl kneeling over a small fire pit. She kneeled down beside him and focused on what he was doing. Daryl didn't look at her but only kept arranging the sticks he had collected in an A-frame for his fire. "Do yah know how to make a fire?" He asked.

"Barely. We used to have them at the farm when Jimmy and I – never mind. But he always made them," Beth said. Daryl nodded, only a small nod and straightened up, leaning back on his heels.

He held up a thicker stick in front of Beth. "This is a kind of stick you use for your frame. The frame is there to keep your fire going when all your kindling burns up," he said. He held up a small stick, a twig. "This is kindling. This starts your fire and holds it until the thicker stuff starts to burn," he said.

He continued to show Beth the ways of making a fire by continuing his A-frame and building more sticks around it and filtering the kindling in the center. He let Beth build most of it. When they were finished, he pulled a packet of matches out of his shirt pocket. "It would help if we had some paper to burn, but we don't," he said.

Daryl struck the match on the designated side of the matchbox and it ignited into a small flame. He held it under the structure they had completed and it started to smoke and finally started to burn. Daryl leaned down and blew on it softly, spreading the flame to other sticks. Soon enough, they had a raging fire. "Are you hungry?" Beth asked, standing up and brushing off her knees.

"Yeah, now that yah mention it," he said.

Beth wandered over to the back of the SUV and pulled open the door. She rummaged through their newly found food items and pulled out a can of beans. "How's some baked beans sound?" She asked. Daryl nodded and opened his hands. Beth threw it and he caught it.

He worked the can open with his pocketknife and set it down near the flames. "How are we gonna cook it?" She asked, stumped. Daryl almost chuckled, but decided against it.

"Like this," he said, rounding towards the front of the car. He wiggled his pocketknife into the spaces between the grill of the car and it popped off. Beth grinned when she realized what he was doing. "Find four large sticks and we'll prop it up over the fire," he said. It took no time for Beth to find the sticks to hold the grill.

She had staked them into the ground and Daryl placed the grill over top along with the can of beans directly over the flames. Now it was just a waiting game. "I'm going to organize the backpacks," she said. Daryl looked after her but only decided to polish his crossbow.

There was a lot of dried walker blood on the handle and he wanted it off. Beth had ended up categorizing the backpacks to what their insides held. She debated about putting a little bit of everything in each if they got separated but it would be a hassle to find everything in an emergency.

She stuck with medical supplies in one, food in another and another catchall pack. When she was finished, Daryl was calling her for dinner. It was midday, but they had had a long day already. He took the can off with two other sticks he had found and Beth dug out their spoons.

It was nice to have cooked food since the prison was attacked. It was filling and good. They still had nothing to clean the can out with so Beth threw it back into the fire when she had scraped it clean. "Do you think anyone is going to return?" She asked Daryl.

He stayed silent for a moment, staring into the flames. He finally shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure. Depending on what happened and if people are desperate enough. I'm not promising anything, Beth," he said.

"I know you're not. It's just nice to have hope," she said, leaning her head against his bicep. Daryl stiffened at her touch, feeling her hair tickle his skin.

He leaned away from her. "I think I'm gonna take a nap," he said, stalking away. "Call if you need anything," he said, grabbing his newly polished crossbow and disappeared into the tent leaving Beth to stare after him.


	9. Don't Ever Leave Me

**I'm sorry it took me so long to update this chapter! My work schedule had been so busy and with the holiday's and all, I didn't have much time to write. I really thought out this chapter and what I wanted to happen in it and lead more into the next chapter. I hope you like it. It has more Daryl & Beth bonding it, and a key turning point in their relationship, at least I think so! Leave a review please (:**

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When the tent flaps had settled together, Beth almost felt guilty. She idly wondered if she had done something wrong by leaning against him. She knew Daryl had felt weird about the kiss they shared, but she didn't think it affected him this much.

She tore her eyes away from the tent, vowing herself to think about herself for just a little while. She looked down to her leg and the crimson stained butterfly stitches. Beth had almost forgotten about the injury she sustained not too long ago.

At her epiphany, Beth was instantly happier that she had organized that backpacks by what they had inside. She retrieved the backpack and sat down next to the campfire. Beth wished she could have washed her hands before tending to herself, but she would have to go without.

She started off by removing the soiled bandages and tossing them into the fire. Once they started to burn, Beth started to panic. Would the scent of her burning blood draw in walkers? She let her worries drift away and returned to her shin.

There was a bottle of Neosporin within the backpack so she spread a thin layer of that over the cut with her finger. It had scabbed over for the most part so she didn't apply any kind of stitches to it. Though, she did tape on some gauze just in case any walker blood got near it she wouldn't get infected.

Finished with her shin, Beth packed away the medical supplies and put the pack back in the car. She looked to the tent again. She wanted Daryl to come out and talk to her; keep her company, but she had to give him his space.

Beth let out a sigh. She looked to the fire and the pathetic pile of sticks that lay next to it. She had nothing else to do, really, so she set out to the small field next to their camp to collect firewood. She took a small bag with her to collect the sticks in. Beth then set off with her revolver tucked into her waistband at her hip and the hammer hanging from her belt loops.

She travelled along the small gulley, collecting different sized sticks and shoved them in her bag. It didn't matter if they snapped or not, they would all burn the same. Beth kept walking down the gulley until she turned back to return to the camp; only she couldn't see the bus anymore. She had gone too far down the highway. Beth sighed again and started her trek back to the camp.

Daryl rolled over in the tent, and huffed. He couldn't get comfortable. Truth be told, he didn't go in the tent to take a nap. He went in the tent to get away from Beth. It felt wrong to have her lean against him, to have her be so comfortable with him.

He shouldn't have kissed her. He should have resisted. But it was the heat of the moment that had gotten to him. Her big round blue eyes looking at him and her innocence radiating off her. Oh, how he wanted to make her fall. He sighed, and sat up, ruffing up his hair as he did.

Daryl sat for a moment, just listening. It was quiet. He heard the crackle of the fire and a light wind rustling the material of the tent, but that was it. There was no indication that Beth was out there anymore. But he hadn't heard any scuffle, he surely would have, he thought.

Without another thought, Daryl made his way out of the tent to a deserted camp. Beth was nowhere in sight like he dreaded. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He dashed back into the tent to grab his crossbow before dashing back out. He looked about him in each direction, only seeing the heat rise off the blacktop.

"Shit, Beth," he muttered under his breath. Daryl thought Beth knew better than to wander off by herself. Especially in an area that they didn't know very well. She could get lost, bitten or taken. A million terrible thoughts ran through Daryl's mind as he searched.

Memories of looking for Sophia rose to the surface. He squeezed his eyes shut at the painful memory and pushed them out of his mind. Beth wasn't dead; he wasn't going to find her changed. Even though he didn't want to – he yelled out her name.

But she was too far away in the opposite direction to hear him. Daryl had taken off in the other direction from Beth. Beth wiped at her forehead, sweat rolling down over her temples and tickling her pale skin. She had abandoned her mission of finding firewood for the other option of making it back safely.

She had drawn her revolver out of her waistband, a chilling feeling coming over her. She was alone, really alone – Daryl wasn't in the tent just a few feet away from her. Walking out in the sun, utterly alone, Beth realized she had made a mistake. She was walking out in the wasteland alone – the very thing she tried so hard to avoid.

Feeling tears starting to brim, she climbed out of the gulley and onto the blacktop and started to weave in and out of the abandoned cars left on the side of the road. She ran, wanting to close the distance between her and Daryl in the shortest amount of time possible. Her shin didn't ache, but her heart did.

Tears blinded her vision, but yet, she still pushed on. Her heart pounded in her chest and air pumped in and out of her lungs. Her revolver cut the air in front of her as she ran. One foot after the other until something snagged her and she fell forward, catching herself on her elbows. They were, too, now bloodied. She didn't have time to feel pain for the thing that grabbed her had not let go.

It was a walker, pinned under a random car. His fingers dug into her ankle, hisses rolling out of his mouth – broken teeth and ripped lips. Beth's gun had flew from her hand upon impact and ended up a few feet out of her reach. Beth struggled against the man's grasp, fingers outstretched towards her weapon.

Her frustration grew when she knew she wouldn't be able to reach her gun. She kicked at the undead man with her free leg and connected a few times but not able to do any real damage. Beth remembered her hammer but she was laying on it, not able to get to it without getting free from the man.

Beth grunted in frustration and fear and desperation. She kicked at him again out of anger but only caught her other ankle in his other hand. She let out a ragged gasp, cursing at herself, at her stupidity and not being able to kill a single walker trapped under a car. Beth looked to the sky, a soft orange, the sun wanting to kiss the horizon, she closed her eyes.

Daryl ran forward, harder now that more time had passed. He always thought to himself in the past to not panic, but in this situation, he was panicking. It was Beth. He thought about her getting her neck torn out by a walker, dying with tears in her eyes and it hurt him to think about it.

It hurt him that he thought that way, but it only made him search quicker. And when the shot rang out, it stopped him in his tracks. It sounded like her weapon, like the shots from last night. All he had to compare it to now was the echo that rang out around him.

The shot had come from the opposite direction from him. Daryl turned on his heels and started to backtrack. He could see a figure off in the distance, just a little past the camp, and felt his heart skip a beat. Their hair caught fire in the lowering sun. But as Daryl ran towards them, jumping over the fire pit, and their features became a little more recognizable, he knew it to be Beth.

He willed himself to run faster, to make it to her within seconds. He only realized when he was a few feet away from her that she was splattered with blood. It dotted her face like morbid freckles. He ditched his crossbow to the side and grasped her forearms. Shaking her lightly, he searched her face. "Beth, what happened? I told you to call for me!" Her eyes were cast downward, focused on the gun that was shaking in her hand.

Her crystal blue eyes snapped up to meet his. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice only able to manage a whisper. "I almost died. I'm sorry." Daryl wanted to crush her to his chest and make all her pain and fears disappear but he resisted.

But Beth wasn't apologizing for him just to hear it. She really was sorry. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she left Daryl in this world alone. He knew how fragile his emotions were and to leave him desolate like that… she wouldn't forgive herself. "You don't have to apologize," he said, loosening his grip on her arms.

"Don't ever leave me," Beth found herself saying. She wasn't thinking, but wasn't about to leave words unsaid after what just happened.

Daryl shook his head, taking the gun from her hands. "I won't. I won't," he said, pulling her into a hug. When Beth pulled back from her embrace Daryl took no time to lead her back to the camp and sit her down outside the tent.

He pulled his handkerchief out of his back pocket and used it to wipe the blood from her face. He could tell she had been crying. One of his visions had come true and he would never forget the image of her face, broken and sad. He wouldn't let his emotions get the best of him again, not if it ended up like this every time.

For the rest of the night, Beth had barely spoken. Night fell upon them silently. Daryl kept the fire small, careful not to attract any more wandering walkers. He used one of the blankets they salvaged from the bus and wrapped it around Beth and cooked her a can of green beans.

She ate them slowly, one by one. She didn't know why the walker pinned under the car bothered her so much. It was just like any other walker – it wanted to eat her and it would stop at nothing. She was actually annoyed at herself, and the way she reacted and handled herself.

Beth thought she was weak. But the thought only fueled her fire; she jerked her leg free and kicked as hard as she could at the hand wrapped around her ankle. The fingers broke at strange angles until she could tug her leg free. She scrambled for her pistol and shot him in the face.

Daryl cleared his throat when he noticed Beth stopped her fork halfway to her mouth at her memory resurfacing. She left her fork in the can and threw it to the side, her appetite gone. Daryl licked his fingers free of squirrel grease. They shared a small glance between each other, but no words were said.

Until a sound rang out around them. It sounded metallic, like something banging off one of the cars that littered the highway. "What was that?" Beth squeaked, drawing the blanket closer around her.

Daryl paused for a second, only allowing him a short amount of time to recognize that Beth had spoken. "Not sure," he said. He grabbed his crossbow and stood, his back to Beth. Beth cradled the hammer in her lap.

The sound rang out again, a muffled banging. It was close. Daryl whirled, realizing the sound was coming from behind Beth. He jogged over beside her and aimed his arrow out into the darkness. Beth found herself leaning into his warmth, his comfort, and his safety. His eyes frantically searched the darkness, willing to keep them both safe.

He moved to the side and gasped. It was Glenn, Daryl's arrow pointed at the middle of his forehead. He was leaning against a car, pulling himself along. It had to be his leg that was hurt. His face was slick with a fevered sweat. He reached out a crimson hand before he collapsed to his knees.

Daryl darted forward to catch him, but was too late. Glenn's knees thumped against the concrete with a crack. He reached out to Daryl again with the same bloody hand. Daryl drew in a gasp when he realized it wasn't only blood that decorated his arm, it was bites.

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**Poor Glenn :( What do you think is gonna happen in the next chapter. Your feedback is appreciated! **


	10. Beyond Saving

**Sad chapter alert.**

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Beth sloughed off the blanket, realizing that Glenn's problems were more important than wallowing in the day's past mistakes. Glenn's breathing as ragged and shallow – he was struggling to breathe. Daryl helped Glenn to his feet and Beth took ahold of his other arm, leading him towards the fire.

They sat him down on one of the blankets and wrapped Beth's abandoned blanket around him. Neither of them decided to mention the bites that lined his forearm, they already knew what it meant for Glenn. Beth glanced at them quickly, but looked away. She didn't want to have that be the memory she remembers of Glenn.

Daryl scrambled for the water bottle, knowing in the back of his mind that he shouldn't waste the water on Glenn, but he was a part of their group and he was still alive. He would still show him mercy. Glenn let Daryl pour some of the water into his mouth and he swallowed it greedily.

He cleared his throat and began to answer the unasked questions from Beth and Daryl. "We were doing fine, I decided to get out there quickly," he said. "I didn't want there to be more casualties than necessary," he said.

Beth and Daryl listened intently to Glenn's rushed words. "What happened to the bus?" Beth found herself asking.

Glenn coughed again, some blood speckling his lips as a result. Beth looked away again, the image already burned into her memory. "Some of the older people were getting rowdy. They wanted to know what we were going to do and where we were going to go," he said. "I didn't know what to tell them – all I knew is that we were heading south. Eventually, they had enough and wanted off the bus. Some of them tried to stop each other but it just broke out into fights. I tried to stop them but I was driving and I swerved and hit a walker pack like back on the high way that got Sophia. It killed the engine," he coughed again.

"They all fled then, grabbed what they could and got out. Most of them got bit like I did. I ran though, not stopping, I wanted to be as far away from those people as I could when I turned. I didn't want to hurt anybody else I knew," Glenn said, eyes flashing away from their wary gazes.

Beth cried at his words. It wasn't his fault that it had happened, but the way he spoke, he made it sound like it was his entire fault. "Why did you come back?" Daryl asked. His question wasn't meant to sound rough, but it may have come out a little rusty around the edges.

Glenn chose to ignore it, or he had been used to it, Beth couldn't tell. "I heard the gun shot. I thought it might have been someone from the original group, you know? I came back to give them some closure, about where everyone ended up," he said.

Daryl nodded, understanding what he meant. Glenn took another sip of the water, the liquid inside quivering as he raised it to his lips. He licked them when he was done. He screwed the cap back on and handed it back to Beth. "I don't want any more water. I can't take it from you. I'm beyond saving and you'll need it more than I will," he said.

Beth wanted to say something to make Glenn feel better, but she couldn't think of anything. Glenn had accepted his fate that he was either going to die or turn. Beth admired this fact about him. If it were she in this situation, she would be in tears. "At least you can rest now," Daryl said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

They both looked tired, ran rugged with the past few days events. "Do you know about any of the others?" Glenn asked. "Maggie… Rick, Carl, anyone?" He asked.

Beth gulped, already knowing the fate to one of the names mentioned. Glenn looked at them expectantly. In turn, Daryl looked at Beth, knowing that she should be the one to tell him. Maggie was her sister after all. "We haven't found Rick or Carl yet," she started. Glenn gave her a small nod, urging her to continue. "Maggie…" she started, unable to finish the sentence.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "She's gone, Glenn," Beth cried. "She turned. I had to put her down," Beth slumped forward, a curtain of blonde hair shielding her face. Her words had finally sunk into Glenn and he cried too.

Daryl recoiled from them, unsure of how to console them. He had lost Merle too, cried but didn't let anyone comfort him. And here he was, watching the pair of them cry and he didn't do anything. "Hey, it's alright," he said, speaking up.

The words sounded awkward coming from Daryl, but it was what they needed to hear. Beth wiped away her tears and cupped her elbows. Glenn wiped his tears away as well, allowing himself only a moment to grieve for Maggie. He would be seeing her soon anyways. The next thing he asked shocked Beth and Daryl. "Where do you think your soul goes when we turn? Our bodies are still here but we're just lost inside," he said.

Neither of them had an answer for Glenn. "I want to find out," he continued. "But I'm not sure I want to," he finished. A chill ran through Beth's body. He wanted to turn – Glenn wanted to become a walker. The thought kept running through her mind and it wouldn't go away. "It won't be long now," he said, tracing the outside rim of one of his bites.

Beth felt nauseated and Daryl was stunned. It was different with Andrea. She was determined to die before she became a walker. But it was to each their own. Glenn wanted to become a walker and see what it was like. No one could blame him, but neither Beth nor Daryl wanted to see him like that.

"Glenn, yah know what that means for us, don't yah?" Daryl asked.

Glenn nodded and wiped at his nose. "Yeah, I do." His eyes connected with Daryl's and stayed for a few moments. Daryl was speechless and so was Beth. But Beth's loss for words was out of anger. She was mad at Glenn for his selfishness.

He was dying and he wanted to turn and he wanted for Daryl and Beth to have to kill him. She couldn't understand how Glenn would force that upon someone else. Her face twisted in anger at the continuation of her thoughts. She pushed off her knees and stood, wandering away from the fire, putting the light to her back.

After what happened today, she wouldn't wander far and Daryl knew that. He also knew that she was mad. He was too, but he had to keep his emotions under control in that moment. Daryl had killed Dale before, and he could do it with Glenn, but this was different. This was _much _different. "Why do yah lie down fer a little while," Daryl suggested, nodding towards the tent.

"I can sleep out here. It's warmer by the fire," he said. Glenn was scared to fall asleep. Sunrise was far away and he wasn't sure if he was going to see the sun again. And if he did, it wouldn't be him that was seeing it. It would be the mindless creature that stole his body. Daryl nodded and left Glenn to it and wandered over to Beth.

He nudged her arm lightly with his. "How yah holdin' up, Beth?" He asked.

She looked to him, his light eyes searching hers. "So much has changed," she said. "I don't think I can handle it," she said, looking back to Glenn, who was now lying flat on the ground, blanket pulled up to his chin. "I won't be able to handle when he changes."

Daryl looked at Glenn and then back to Beth. He wanted to shield her from all this hurt and death around them, but he couldn't. There would be no possible way for that to happen in a world like this. "I know it's what he wants," Daryl started. "But I don't think I can we can give it to him," he said in a hushed whisper.

He knew Glenn was only falling asleep then. Daryl didn't understand why Glenn had to change, had to become a walker. It was something they tried so hard to avoid and he wanted to give himself over to it like it was nothing. He shook his head, not able to understand. "What are you going to do?" Beth asked.

Daryl only gave her one look and she understood. It didn't take long for Beth to catch onto things. She was young, but not stupid nor foolish. She saw the reality of things. They turned around again, and Glenn was sprawled out on the ground, blanket wrapped tightly around his waist.

Snores radiated from his slack jaw. He must have been tired from walking all day, or however long he had been trying to get away from the bus. "Do you have your revolver on you, Beth?" Daryl asked, his voice void of all emotion.

Beth peered up at him through her lashes. She nodded, slipping the weapon from her jeans waistband and placing it in his palm. Daryl clicked the safety off and approached Glenn. Beth followed behind him quietly. Daryl gave her one last glance before raising the gun to the sleeping man.

The gun didn't shake, yet Daryl didn't pull the trigger. Beth closed her eyes and nodded, she was letting go of Glenn. She was holding onto the good memories she had of him. His face when he gave Maggie her ring, when he would tell stories, when he looked at Judith, his laugh, his smile.

She wanted to remember the good parts of him. Not the bites that covered his arms, not his brain painting the asphalt. She could feel the tears against her closed eyes, but refused to let them fall. Daryl took a deep breathe before squeezing the trigger.

The bullet tore through Glenn's head, killing him. Beth opened her eyes, glancing down to the dead body at her feet. His face was no longer recognizable. She convinced herself that it wasn't Glenn in front of her, but someone else. "I'm sorry," she whispered, because she was.

Because she didn't give Glenn what he wanted. She didn't respect his death wishes. And she hoped one day, that someone would obey hers and she would apologize to Glenn for real soon.

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**What did you all think of this chapter? It literally took me all but an hour to write, sad chapters are the easiest for me to write. Leave a review please (: There is a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter about what's to come in the next chapter, can anyone catch it? (;**


	11. Letting Go of Reality

**This is more of just a filler chapter. It was hard for me to write, I had a little writer's block.**

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Daryl tucked Beth's revolver into his back pocket. He thought it was too soon to return it to her after what they both just witnessed. He ran a hand over his face and looked to Beth. Tears were collecting around her eyes but not falling. "We should bury him," she said. "We bury our own."

He nodded, agreeing. "We don't have anythin' to bury em' with. But we can wrap him in the blanket and put him in the gulley. It's the best we can do with what we have," he said. Beth nodded. She pushed away her thoughts of disgust and knelt down to Glenn.

She fumbled with the blanket that was twisted about him. She tugged at the grey fleece and it came untangled from around Glenn's body. With Daryl's help she laid it out next to his unmoving form and rolled him onto it.

Together, they folded the blanket around him. They stood and stared at the blanket below them. "I'll grab his upper half," Daryl said, walking to his head. The blanket was already stained red with Glenn's blood. Daryl hauled him into his arms and then Beth lifted his feet. Surprisingly, he wasn't very heavy like she thought he would be. Daryl backtracked down into the gulley and Beth followed.

They laid him down in the gulley and tucked the blanket around him tighter. Beth knew some day that the blanket would be scalped off of him by some other survivor and it made her want to cry. This was going to be Glenn's final resting place. The place where his bones and skin withered away to nothing.

Daryl reached over and took Beth's hand in his. He knew she was sad, and had to leave the situation behind or she would dwell on it for too long. He tugged her out of the gulley, leaving Glenn behind for the darkness to swallow him whole.

The pair moved back into the light of the fire, the flames illuminated a small pool of blood staining the blacktop. "We should get to bed and pack up and leave early tomorrow morning," he said.

"I agree. I want to get as far away from this place as possible," Beth said, parting the flaps of the tent and clambering inside. Daryl hesitated and moved to the fire. He stomped his boot on it a couple times, snuffing out the flames.

The darkness consumed him and he turned and entered the tent. Beth had lit one of the small lanterns and was in the process of undressing. She had found pajamas on the bus and decided that she was going to wear them tonight. The past few nights she had to sleep in the clothes she escaped the prison in. Pajamas were now a luxury item.

Daryl felt like he was intruding on something he shouldn't have seen. Beth was only in her bra, shirt clinging to her arms as she raised it above her head. She hadn't seen nor heard Daryl enter the tent yet. His gaze slid over her body, the curve of her chest, and the pale skin of her stomach.

He backed out slowly and let her finish changing in private. He stood outside the tent, shifting back and forth for a few moments until Beth called to him. "Daryl?" Her voice was faint. "Are you coming in soon?" She asked.

She was fully changed; in pajamas that actually fit this time instead of the rag doll set she wore the first night away from the prison. Daryl chewed at his thumb before pushing open the tent and entered. Beth's feet were tucked in her sleeping bag and her arms wrapped around her knees.

Daryl couldn't help but think she looked much younger than she actually was. He turned and sat down on his own sleeping bag, kicking off his boots and nudging them aside. "You should get some sleep, long day 'head of us tomorrow," he said when he felt Beth watching him.

Beth flicked her gaze away. "Don't you have any pajamas?" She asked. "Didn't find any on the bus?" She continued. Daryl silently shook his head. He wasn't very into pajamas. He was more of a boxer kind of guy.

"Beth, I don't mean anythin' by it, but can you look away so I can get undressed?" He asked, eyes meeting hers quickly. Daryl was self conscious about the scars marking his back and he knew her eyes would wander and Beth wasn't the kind of person to hold her tongue with questions.

Her mouth quirked up in a smile. "I don't mind," she said, her gaze still lingering.

"I do," Daryl countered. He kept his voice even, not wanting to offend her. Beth sighed, but slid deeper into her sleeping bag and turned away from him. She cradled the plush bunny in her arms and closed her eyes.

Daryl took his moment of privacy to shimmy his jeans off and slip his shirt over his head. He discarded his clothes on a pile alongside his boots and Beth's revolver. He was left in just his boxers now. Beth listened quietly as he undressed, longing to see what he looked like underneath his clothes.

When Daryl had clicked the small light off, Beth rolled over onto her back. Her hands clasped over her stomach as she stared at the top of the tent. She was hyper aware now. She listened to the sound of the crickets and cicadas as they brought the darkness to life.

Beth focused on Daryl's breathing, slowing her own breaths so they matched with his. This was the first time they have slept in such close quarters together. "Daryl?" Beth asked. He hummed, acknowledging her question. "Where are we gonna go from here?"

She wasn't scared, just curious. Daryl was silent while he contemplated his answer. He didn't know what to tell the girl lying beside him. He didn't want to be brutal and say he had no idea where to go. But he didn't want to get her hopes up and tell her some place and never actually get there. Or they do, and it's overrun with the undead.

"It's okay if you don't know," Beth said.

Daryl cleared his throat. "I don't know, Beth. We'll take it day by day. We need somewhere permanent," he thought out loud. Beth nodded even though she knew Daryl couldn't see her in the darkness. A silence had fallen over the pair, a comfortable silence.

They both admired the fact that they could calmly discuss these things together instead of keeping them inside. Beth especially liked that Daryl treated her as an equal and not like a child. But he never really did treat her like a child. She rolled over, planting her head into the crook of Daryl's arm.

He stiffened for a moment as her hand rested on his bare chest. If his tattoo had been more visible, she would have been tracing it. He felt Beth blink, the soft touch of her eyelashes graze his skin. "Goodnight, Daryl," she said, closing hers a final time. Daryl hadn't said anything in return, but watched her until he fell asleep.

In the morning when Daryl awoke, Beth was no longer in his arms. She was sleeping in her own sleeping bag facing away from him. He didn't know what time it was, but he knew he had to wake her. Before he did, he dressed in his outfit from the previous day.

When he was situated, Daryl shook her shoulder lightly. "Beth, time to get up," he said as calmly as he could. Beth turned and looked at him then stretched, the sleeping bag falling to her stomach. Daryl exited the tent and let her dress on her own.

Beth had dressed in fresh clothing, a pale yellow tank top knotted at her waist, showing a stripe of her skin and cut off shorts. She tied her hiking boots on and also tied up her hair into a messy bun. Beth emerged from the tent and took in her surroundings. She could no longer see Glenn's dead body and she was glad.

All that was left from him was the stained patch of blacktop. Daryl had gotten a fire going in no time and started to cook some of the sweeter food for breakfast. "Want me to help out with anything?" She asked, hooking her fingers into her belt loops.

He shook his head. "Nah, I think I got it covered," he said, checking the can with a stick. Beth looked around, wanting to find something to do – be useful. "Oh, here," Daryl said.

He fished something out of his back pants pocket. It was her revolver. He handed it to her and she took it graciously. "Thanks," she tucked it into her waistband. Beth then turned to the car, rooting through the backpack full of food.

For some reason unknown to her, she happened to look up. There was something off in the distance. It was almost a repeat of how she found the bus, but this one was more chilling. It was a group of people, walking down the highway. Shambling, creeping, shuffling – they were the walkers Glenn had told them about. "Daryl!" She exclaimed. They must have heard the shot last night, like Glenn had and came back to investigate.

Daryl followed her gaze and abandoned the food in the fire. He ran to her, not wanting a repeat of Sophia's accident. "Under the car, now," he urged her to her knees. Beth crawled under the car, Daryl right beside her. With them together, Daryl felt a lot better of their survival rate.

Beth held her hand over her mouth, careful to muffle her breathing. Daryl kept his finger on the trigger of his crossbow, ready to shoot if need be. He glanced over to Beth, who met his gaze just as the walkers reached their camp.


	12. A Place To Rest

**This is an extra long chapter to bring in the new year! Hope everyone had a great NYE! Anyone else watching the marathon? AND DID ANYONE SEE THE BETH AND DARYL PROMO OMG!?**

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Daryl kept his finger pressed to his mouth, pleading that Beth's cries wouldn't make a noise. Beth knew what happened to the little girl that was part of their group before Beth was, and it terrified her. The walkers shuffled around them, oblivious to the humans hiding under the car.

It seemed like hours that they were hiding under the car. Beth had calmed down a little when she realized the walkers weren't attacking them. Daryl made sure this time that no one would be lost in this situation. He wouldn't be able to handle it.

This herd of walkers was smaller than the last. It was a pack of only about thirty. They passed by quickly. But for good measure, they waited under the SUV for a good ten minutes since the last walker had passed. Daryl caught Beth's eye and nodded.

They both backed out from under the SUV. Daryl took the precaution of inspecting the camp before Beth was allowed to wander about. There were no left over walkers. "All right, it's safe," he said. Beth straightened herself out from her crouched position and stood beside him.

The walkers were blurring in the morning sun's horizon. "I think we should leave. It's not safe on the side of the road. It might not be just walkers that stumble upon us anymore," Beth said, turning to look at him. He nodded.

"Yeah, we need to leave. I'll break down the tent if yah get everythin' situated in the car," he said. Beth nodded and they went their separate ways to get their car packed up. Beth collected the food that was strewn about the campfire and packed it away in the food bag.

She then collected the small pile of firewood and loaded it into the trunk. Beth only stopped once to look at Daryl. His muscles glistened in the sun as he tore the tent poles down. They were both finished within ten minutes of packing up.

For having absolutely nothing just a few days ago, they were doing well. The back of the SUV was full of supplies. The backseat was designated for Daryl's crossbow and the medical bag. Both of them climbed into the SUV, Daryl in the driver's seat once again.

He pulled away from the abandoned bus, away from Glenn. It hadn't crossed Beth's mind until they were leaving their temporary camp that the walkers passing by may have been people they knew. Beth cast a glance over her shoulder, the image of the blue bus burned into her memory.

It was another part of her journey that she didn't want to return to. She didn't want to return to the pain of Glenn, the pain of almost dying. "So, somewhere permanent," Beth said, trying to make small talk. Daryl nodded.

"Yeah. I was thinking somewhere big. A landmark, somewhere that Rick and Carl would stop. Not someplace small that would be overlooked. But it's also dangerous, attracting lots of people like that," he said, nodding his head along. Beth agreed.

They rode in silence for awhile, looking around as they drove for any place significant. Daryl glanced over to the blonde sitting next to him, completely oblivious to his stolen look. "Hey, Beth," Daryl said in turn for Beth's usual curiosity.

"Yeah?" She answered. She still gazed out the window, waiting for his reply.

"When's your birthday?" He asked. He cleared his throat, wanting the awkwardness of the conversation to go away. He didn't know why he felt this way, he was usually outspoken and she knew it.

Beth turned and looked at him, catching his eyes for only a moment. "It's in two days," she said. "I've been ticking off days since before we left the prison and I've been keeping track in my head since then," she continued. "Why?"

Daryl hesitated before speaking again. "I, um, got yah somethin'. Just a little thing," he finally spoke. "It's in my pack, if you wanna get it. Side pocket." Daryl took notice of the ghost of a smile on Beth's lips. Daryl didn't slow the car so Beth climbed over the center console, her hip skimming Daryl's arm.

He didn't stiffen. But instead, he looked in the rearview mirror, wanting to see her reaction. Beth leaned over the backseat and grabbed Daryl's pack. She unsnapped the side pocked and pulled out the earrings on their piece of cardstock. "Oh, Daryl," she murmured. "They're beautiful."

Daryl almost wanted to blush. "I thought you would like them," he said. Beth set Daryl's pack back down and crawled back into the passenger seat. She unhooked them from their card and slid them into her ears. "Thank you," she said when she was finished putting them in.

She leaned over and planted a kiss on Daryl's cheek. Jimmy had gotten her presents before, but nothing as sweet as this. Even if they were gas station earrings, Beth was still in love with them. Beth couldn't help the smile that was on her face. "What about there, Beth?" Daryl asked, pointing up ahead.

Beth had lost track of time and how long they actually were driving. It must have been at least three hours. They were getting low on gas. Up ahead, off to the left side of the road was a mall. It had a large white canopy in the middle of it and other sections branching off of it. "It's our best shot," Beth said.

Daryl took his time getting there, trying to conserve the gas. "It's gonna be overrun," Beth thought out load.

"We can take it," Daryl encouraged her as they pulled into the parking lot. There were still an abundance of abandoned cars. They would be able to siphon gas if they needed. "We'll take it as a team, we stay at the entrance and let them come to us so if we need to get out we can," he continued.

Beth nodded. They pulled up to the curb by one of the entrances and turned off the car. They both jumped out and opened the back seat doors to get to their weapons. Beth took a deep breath as she hooked the hammer into her belt loop. She opted to keep her revolver in her hands.

Daryl had his knife, crossbow and a rifle strapped to his back. "Ready?" He asked, shutting the door. Beth nodded. They approached the mall's glass doors and Daryl peered inside, hand over his eyes to hide the glare. His brow furrowed. "It doesn't look like anyone is in there," he drawled.

"Maybe lots of people weren't shopping when the plague hit?" Beth suggested. Daryl gave her a glance but continued on into the building. Daryl tapped his knife against the glass of the entrance, drawing in any walkers inside.

Daryl and Beth heard a few of the walkers hissing coming nearer towards them. "I got it," Daryl said moving forward as two walkers came into view. Beth was still in disbelief that more walkers weren't actually in the building.

Daryl jogged forward, stabbing the first walker easily. The second was an even easier kill yet as she had a half broken leg and could barely walk. Daryl felt no pity for the undead woman he had just put down. He looked back to Beth and waved her on forward.

Beth jogged to his side as they emerged from the entrance hallway into the main atrium of the mall. They were underneath the white canopy. The mall was two stories, the shops looking seemingly untouched. "Wow," Beth breathed, taking everything in.

Another walker came into sight from behind a kiosk, shambling towards them. Beth tucked her revolver away and pulled out her hammer. "I can get this one," she said, pulling Daryl back when he went to kill it.

"You sure?" He asked as the man drew nearer. Beth just nodded and then darted forward. She plowed into the undead man and knocked him to the linoleum floor and then threw three blows to his head, smashing half his skull in. Her face was splattered with fine blood spray. Beth picked herself up off the floor and returned to Daryl's side.

He nudged her in recognition of her kill. "Where should we start?" She asked. "We can't just stay out in the open," she said. Daryl nodded his head towards the mall map.

"We should see if they have a Bass Pro or a Dunham's at least," he said. "We can stock up on supplies and everything else." Daryl approached the map and scanned the key, looking for the right store. "Right there," he said, cracking his knuckle off a store.

Beth looked closer. It was a Bass Pro shop on the second floor. They looked around, searching for the sine around the second floor. She pointed. "There it is," she said. Daryl smirked at her and they started up the escalator – stopped long ago and now they were just glorified stairs.

They took it slow, making sure no more walkers would attack. And none did. They had reached the store, but Beth's eyes were set on something else. It was a liquor store, two doors down. "Daryl, I'll be right back," she said and then took off.

Daryl stared at her in disbelief. It wasn't like her to take off from his side. She opened the door and went to walk inside but Daryl caught her arm. "What are you doing?" He asked, looking at her and then to the inside of the store.

"I want a drink. I want to know what it's like to get drunk," she said. Daryl let his hand drop from her arm. "Can I go do that now?" She asked. When he didn't say anything, she continued inside.

Daryl followed behind her, more slowly and silently. He watched as she skimmed the aisles, choosing her poison carefully. "Beth," he called. "Are you sure this is the best idea?"

Beth's eyes flared. "It doesn't matter if it's the best. It's what I want," she said. Daryl knew that when Beth wanted something, she got it. That's how she got the scar on her wrist. Daryl leaned against the wall as Beth finally picked a bottle suitable enough for her.

It was Vodka. "That's a little strong, Beth," Daryl said. He wasn't fully against Beth getting drunk, he was just a little hesitant. Beth had never gotten drunk before, he didn't know how she would react or what she would do. Daryl didn't know if he would be able to control her.

Beth struggled to get the bottle open. "Hand it over," he said. "I'll open it for you," he said, holding his hand out towards her. Beth was reluctant, but eventually handed the bottle to Daryl. He drew out the bottle opener he had taken from the gift shop and popped open the cap for her.

Beth chugged a third of the bottle down in seconds. "Damn," Daryl said. He took a beer off the shelf and sipped at it, telling himself it was the only one he was allowed to have. Beth made a sour face, not enjoying the taste it gave her. "I told yah it was strong."

"Then it shouldn't take long for me to get drunk," she countered, taking another swig of the sour liquid. Beth slid down the wall, her head already feeling woozy. Daryl downed his beer quite fast, wanting his mind to be focused on Beth. Daryl sat down beside her.

Beth sloshed the Vodka around in the clear bottle before taking another long chug from it. "I'd never taken you for the one to be a drinker," Daryl said, picking at a thread on his jeans. Beth nodded but continued drinking. "But I guess we all changed a little bit."

"Drink wiffme, Darrrrrylllll," Beth slurred, her head lolling on Daryl's shoulder. The words felt foreign on her tongue. Daryl smiled at her determination to talk. Her head was still on Daryl's shoulder but continued to drink. There was a little left in the bottle when Daryl decided to take it from her. "What're you doin', Daryyyllll?" She drawled, her doe eyes looking to his.

He chuckled. "I think you've had enough, sunshine," he said. He set the bottle down on the other side of him. She sat up, head swimming, but she fought through it. She slapped her hands onto either side of Daryl's head and pushed her lips onto his. He jerked back, almost hitting his head off the wall. "Beth, you're drunk. Yah don't wanna do this," he said, encasing her wrists with his hands. She struggled but only weakly.

"I do wanna do this, I ain't drunk," she argued. "I know you want it too." Heat bloomed throughout Daryl. There was no possible way that she should or could know that.

Daryl stood, Beth almost falling sideways to the floor but he caught her. He wrapped his arms around her and helped her back to the Bass Pro where they had dropped their stuff. "C'mon, Beth," he murmured softly.

He set her down in a basket of oversized fish pillows. It was the only thing soft enough for her to lay on at the moment. Daryl wanted to say something else but she had already passed out. He shook his head and let her sleep as he unpacked their things.

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**So I have two ideas for a Daryl story. One is Bethyl, and the other is Daryl with a character that I made up all my own. Which should I do?! It is for a separate story than this one, sorry for the confusion. Leave a review please! I really appreciate all the love you guys are giving this story (:**


	13. Recovery

**First off, I'd like to apologize for the confusion on my last chapter. This story is staying ****_strictly_**** Bethyl for those of you who thought I was bringing an OC into this story. Also, I'd like to apologize for this chapter. It's not up to par and I'm not the least bit happy with it but I knew I had to post something. I've been reading other Bethyl stories on here and I'm not happy with my writing anymore. **

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Even when Daryl was finished unpacking their things, Beth still had not woken. Instead, he chose to wander the aisles, picking up things they would need. He was gazing at the fish skeletons in the aquarium when he heard her groan. Daryl wheeled the car he was using back to the entrance of the store where he had left her.

She was sitting up in the sea of fish pillows, hand on her forehead and eyes closed. "How yah feeling, sunshine?" He asked, striding over to her. Beth looked up to him and rolled her eyes, a groan radiating from her.

"I feel like I'm gonna die," she said, falling back against the pillows again, the crook of her arm over her face.

Daryl chuckled. "That's called a hangover, Beth. You'll feel better in a few hours," he said, gazing down upon her. She mumbled something into her arm but Daryl hadn't caught it. "I'll get you some water." Daryl walked over to their stash and found one of the fuller water bottles.

He returned to Beth, nudging her softly and handed her the water bottle. She sipped at it graciously but paused. The bottle shook in her hand. "I'm gonna throw up," she said, shoving the bottle back into Daryl's hand.

Beth then keeled over the side of the basket she was in and threw up on the floor. Daryl was quick to hold her hair back from her face as she threw up twice more. She grew limp, just hanging over the edge of the wire basket and moaned. "I'm never drinking again."

"Well, that's good to hear," Daryl said, feeling pity for his young companion. "But you do need to keep sipping at this water. Whatever was in your stomach is out now," he said, rubbing her back a little. She took the bottle from him again and sipped at it tentatively.

Daryl thought back to the many times he got shit-faced after being whipped by his father. It was the only thing that took away the pain of the moment. But when it was the next day and he had a horrible hangover, he immediately regretted downing the alcohol. He thought Beth was in a similar situation. "Call me if you need anything," he said.

Beth nodded and watched him walk away. Beth kept sipping on the water, watching as Daryl constructed their tent. She watched his muscles glide under his skin. The way he moved was almost graceful. Beth admired him silently. Then she remembered the way his lips felt on hers.

Soft, warm but hesitant. Melting into hers and then gone. Beth hadn't had her fix of Daryl yet. She wanted more of him, more than just stolen glances at attempts at making conversation just to hear his voice. She wanted his hands over her body, his lips on hers, his eyes only looking at her.

Beth didn't know if this was an after effect of the alcohol, but she didn't mind her thoughts being dominated by Daryl. She hadn't realized that he was finished with the tent and walking over to her. "How're yah feelin' now?" He asked, kneeling down to get to her level, avoiding the puke that was still there.

"I'm okay," she nodded, staring into his blue eyes.

"Do you wanna try to get up?" He asked, taking her hangover slow. He had to keep in mind that it was her first one. "Not dizzy at all?"

Beth shook her head. Daryl reached forward and grasped her forearms, helping her out of the cart. Beth crawled over the edge, surprised that her head wasn't swimming. Daryl kept an arm around her shoulders as he led her over to the tent.

He helped her sit and gave her the water bottle once again. "I'm gonna go clean up, the um, yeah," Daryl said, leaving an awkward silence between them. He returned to the cart of pillows, taking a rag and cleaning up the vomit that was still there.

It didn't take long for him to clean it up. He disposed of the bag he put it in and returned to Beth. "If you're feeling up to it, we can go look through the other shops and see what we can find," Daryl suggested, trying to lift her mood.

Beth tried to stand, pushing her dizziness away. "Let's do it, but first, I kinda have to go to the bathroom," she said. "You made me drink too much," Beth laughed, but stopped when it made her headache pound even more.

He extended his arm out towards her and she walked along with him. They exited the Bass Pro and stared out at the mall around them, looking for a bathroom sign. "There they are," he pointed to the floor below them and to a small hallway with the blue sign with a girl on it.

They descended the escalator and walked towards the bathrooms. "Can you go in and get it done yourself?" Daryl asked, pausing outside the door.

"Daryl, I'm gonna be fine," she said, rolling her eyes and pushing the door open. The bathroom was large, stall after stall after stall. The mirror and sinks ran the whole way through the center of the room. Beth chose a random stall and went to the bathroom.

She heard one of the doors bang open and echo throughout the room. Beth froze. "Daryl?" She called out, only to hear her voice echo as well. She quickly wiped herself and pulled her shorts back up and unlocked her stall.

She froze once again when she heard the hisses and moans of a walker rebound around her. She turned and ran for the door and back to Daryl but rammed into the walker. Her head swam and the room spun around her as they both crashed to the ground.

Beth screamed, the weight of the walker crushing her. "Daryl!" She wheezed. The walker snapped at her, jaw working and eyes focused on her. She pushed her away, careful to avoid her decaying mouth. "Daryl!" She called again.

But she didn't need to. The arrow pierced through the walker's skull and it fell silent on top of her. Daryl grasped the woman's shirt and hauled her off Beth's prone form. He tossed her aside and held his hand out to Beth. "You all right? Yah didn't get bit or nothin'?" He asked.

She shook her head but became dizzy once again. She pressed a hand to her forehead. Daryl kept a hand on her arm, just in case she took a dive. "Thanks," Beth said, looking up to him. "Let's keep going. I'm just gonna have to shake this off on my own."

Daryl was hesitant, but she was right. She shouldn't let her hangover stop them from surviving. He was also kind of glad that she got some sense knocked into her from her drinking experience. They exited the bathroom and faced the map of the mall.

There was easily over a hundred shops. "Where should we start?" She asked. Daryl shrugged. He never was really one to shop in strip malls. He looked to her. "I guess we can start at Footlocker and work out way around clockwise," she said. Daryl nodded and they headed off in the direction of the first shop to walked away, heading below a balcony. They disappeared from view, unaware that they were being watched.

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**So, who do you think is watching them?! Also, comment down below any stories that have Bethyl or Daryl in them. I need some stuff to read! Leave a review please! I promise my next update will be ****_much_**** better!**


	14. Whispered Promises

**So, I think this is a long awaited chapter for a lot of you. If you know what I mean (;**

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Truth be told, Beth was the only one unaware that they were being watched. Daryl had caught sight of the mysterious person while Beth was in the bathroom. He didn't want to say anything to her out in the open for fear she would give away that they were aware now. Despite all this, Daryl kept Beth close as they made their way to Footlocker.

Once inside the store, Daryl tugged on her arm. She looked back to him, hair flaring out behind her. "What is it?" She asked. They stood face to face, Beth's baby blues looking up into his own.

"I didn't want to say anything out there, but while you were in the bathroom, I saw someone. They were watching us. I was suspicious as to why there weren't many walkers in the mall," Daryl said. "I think we should go back to our camp. I don't want that fucker stealing any of our shit we worked so hard for."

Beth only realized now that she had stopped breathing. Why would this stranger keep away at a distance? Why not approach Beth and Daryl and want to join up? It made her uneasy. "Let's go back," she agreed. Daryl nodded and reached his arm out for her, slipping it around her shoulders.

Once they exited the store, Beth's eyes were searching everywhere. "Stop that," Daryl whispered. "They could be anywhere. We don't want to let them know we know," he said. Beth nodded. Daryl let his hand drop from around her shoulders, but Beth wouldn't move farther than from right next to him.

She kept her shoulder against his and a hand tugging on his vest as they went up the escalator. She didn't want to seem like a needy baby but she didn't take well to strangers. Not since the rest stop, not since the Governor. It was funny that now that she felt threatened, she sobered up real quick.

Daryl half-jogged to the Bass Pro and threw the door open wide enough for Beth to scurry through as well. Everything looked the same as when they left for Beth to go to the bathroom. "Look around quick, make sure everything is here," he commanded, throwing a glance to Beth to see if she was still okay.

She rushed to her organized backpacks, taking everything into account. Everything seemed to still be here. "It's all here," Beth said leaning back on her heels. Daryl ran a hand through his hair.

He looked to her again, not being able to stand to look in her doe eyes any longer than a few seconds. He felt responsible for keeping her safe. He felt like he was failing her. One after the other, something keeps happening and he can't prevent it. "I'm sorry, Beth," he sputtered.

Beth furrowed her brow. "For what?" She asked, scooting closer to him. He glanced to her again, holding her gaze for longer.

"For feeling like I failed yah, Beth," he started. "I can't keep yah safe," he continued. He watched as her face fell, a look of pity and pain. It almost looked as if she was going to cry.

She raised her hand to his face, cupping his cheek. His stubble was rough against her fingers, seeming as he hadn't shaved in awhile. He dropped his gaze from hers, ashamed. "Daryl, you know that's not true," she said.

His fingers curled around her wrist, dragging it from his cheek. "But it is. You were almos' killed today, you almos' died at the bus camp, you almos' died at the rest stop, you almos' died when we went to the prison and at the house when we fled, all while yah were under my watch," he said, shoulders falling as he acknowledged what he didn't want to.

Beth lightly pried her wrist from Daryl's grasp, positioning her hand on his cheek again. "Stop thinking like that. You are just bein' hard on yourself," she half-chided him. "I almost died those times because it was my fault," she admitted.

Daryl shook his head, not saying anything. "And to think," he started, laughing, and eyes meeting hers. "I wouldn't a been able to tell yah how I really feel," he said. "It keeps getting in the way," he said, laughing again.

It wasn't a normal laugh, like it almost pained him to do so. Beth was confused. Daryl had never talked like this before. "Daryl?" She murmured. "What gets in the way?" She asked.

"Don't you see it, Beth?" He asked. He continued, giving her no time to answer. "My feelings for you. I tried to deny them, I tried so hard. But it seems that I can't," he said. Beth felt her heart pick up. "At the bus, I went in the tent because I didn't know if I could resist not kissing you again. When you laid your head against my shoulder, all I wanted to do was comfort you and stroke your hair, but instead I went away and you almost died," he said.

Tears were starting to form in Beth's eyes. But Daryl ignored them, forcing the words out. "And then after those men intruded on us, and yah told me to kiss you n' I did, I pushed you away then. And you went away and almos' died then, too. I can't keep pushin' yah away like that," he confessed.

Beth was stunned speechless. She thought the feelings she had for Daryl only went one way. She thought he was caught in the heat of the moment back at the rest stop. "And here you are now, not saying anything. Looking at me with those big ol' eyes of yours and all I want now is to kiss you," he said, eyes burning into hers.

She sucked in a breath. "Then kiss me," she breathed. Daryl didn't have to hesitate at her suggestion. He crashed his lips upon hers, all his pent-up frustration finally dissolving in the kiss. Beth's hand slipped from his face to his shoulder and squeezed.

Daryl's own hands twisted in her blonde hair, pulling her closer and closer. Their mouths moved together with ease. It was easily the best kiss Beth had ever experienced. Daryl pulled back for only a moment. "I won't lose you again," he whispered the promise against her lips before kissing her again.

Beth's heart hammered in her chest as she clawed at Daryl. No matter how close they were, they would never be close enough. "Daryl," she murmured against his lips. He hummed into her mouth. "What about the person watching us?" She asked.

She didn't want to kill the moment, but she didn't exactly want to die either. Daryl pulled back, forehead resting against hers. "We should look for whoever it is. I didn't get a good look at the person, they were too far away. But the last I saw of them they were outside the pretzel stand," he said.

Beth nodded, "let's go then." Daryl swept Beth up in his arms and set her down lightly on her feet. Both of them felt like the air was cleared between them. Now that Daryl had gotten his feelings off his chest, he felt like nothing could stop him. He felt like he would never lose Beth again.

Daryl scooped up his crossbow, his knife and the screwdriver just for good measure. Beth kept her signature revolver tucked into her waistband along with the hammer she had become fond of. Daryl clasped her shoulder and planted a kiss on her cheek, earning a deep blush from her. "Stay close," he said.

Beth smiled and nodded. Though she was still slightly nervous about going to confront the stranger, she was oddly okay with it since she was with Daryl. He pushed open the door, holding it open for her, but still leaving the store first. There was no way he was going to put her in any immediate danger by going first.

Crossbow up and ready to shoot, they made their way around the curving balcony of the mall. The pretzel stand came into view, a large plastic pretzel as the sign telling them it was close. Daryl paused, looking at Beth and held a finger to his lips. She nodded and then looked back to the pretzel stand.

Daryl approached it cautiously, step by step. He peered over the counter. Beth watched as he visually relaxed. Beth was confused until Daryl grabbed for her wrist and pulled her closer. She trusted him fully. Beth stood beside him and gazed over the edge of the counter.

Curled up on the floor in the middle of the pretzel stand was a child laid out on a sleeping bag. He was about ten years old, clutching a gun to his side. He appeared to be sleeping, but either way, hadn't heard them approach. Beth's eyes flashed to Daryl's.

He waved her away from the stand. They spoke in hushed whispers. "What are we going to do?" She asked. "We can't just leave him here!" She explained to him. Daryl nodded.

"He seems to be doing a pretty good job on his own, though," he said. Beth gave him a look. "Why don't we try waking him up? See if he has a group or anyone he's waiting for, he suggested. Beth threw the idea around in her head before agreeing. They had no other choice than to do that.

"I'll do it," she said. "He might freak out if you do it," she said, turning back towards the boy's hideout.

Daryl was by her side again. "And what is that supposed to mean?" He asked, looking affronted.

"Exactly how it sounds," she smirked up at him. They rounded the stand towards the small gap in the counter to get a better look at the sleeping child. It was now Beth's turn to hush Daryl. She contemplated how to wake him, she didn't want to touch him.

She might get herself shot that way. Instead, she started to sing. Daryl was stunned when the soft melody drifted from her mouth. It had been awhile since he heard her sing. It was definitely one of his favorite sounds. Beth had gotten through a few verses when the boy started to stir.

Daryl looked down to her but she shook her head and continued. A few more seconds passed by and the boy stilled again. Then, his eyes shot open.

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**Finally! Beth and Daryl have cleared the air between them! How do you think the boy is going to react waking up to Beth and Daryl? Your reviews keep me going with this story! Love you all (:**


	15. Remnants of Before

**Who is ready for the chapter? (: Thanks for all your kind reviews on this story! You guys keep me going! At the end of this chapter is a sneak peek of my new Bethyl story coming out soon. I'm still working out some kinks, but it's coming along! Let me know what you think of the idea please (:**

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The boy shot up, clutching his gun and had it aimed towards Beth and Daryl. Beth threw her hands up while Daryl gripped his crossbow tighter. He wouldn't have a problem shooting a young kid if it meant he and Beth would survive. "W-what do you want?" He stuttered, the muzzle of the gun clearly shaking.

Beth kept her eyes on the young boy, she didn't know what to say. "Why were yah watchin' us?" Daryl grunted over his crossbow. The boy's eyes flashed between them. When the boy didn't reply, Daryl spoke again. "We're not gonna hurt yah, you can put the gun down, kid."

The boy hesitated. "You first," he said, challenging Daryl. Daryl wanted to yell at the kid, but he swallowed his anger. He knew they were going to go no where if he didn't lower his weapon first. With a glance from Beth, Daryl let his crossbow drop by his side.

The boy slowly lowered his rifle. "Why were you watching us?" Beth asked softly. "Do you have anyone else with you?" Her hands were laying limp in her lap. The boy looked so scared. He reminded her of Judith. She wanted to take care of him.

He shook his head. "It was me and my mom, then she got bit trying to protect me. I locked her in one of the bathroom stalls, but she got out and you – you killed her," the boy half-wailed. Beth could tell it was hard for him to relive those memories.

"And you've been surviving in here all along?" She asked. He nodded, not saying anything else. A moment of silence passed when she thought of another question. "What's your name?"

He half-smiled. "It's Dillon. What's yours?" He asked.

Beth pointed to herself. "I'm Beth… and this is Daryl," she gestured to her partner. "Why don't we get you cleaned up and have a little something to eat?" She suggested. He sniffled a little and then nodded. He pushed onto his knees and followed Beth and Daryl back to their camp in Bass Pro.

Daryl pulled open the door for the both of them. Beth laid her hand on the back of the small child, ushering him through the door. When they were all through the door, Daryl's hand wound around Beth's wrist. His eyes weren't focused on her, though.

Beth was just about to speak, to ask him what was wrong, but he shook his head. Dillon was walking forward, heading to the tent that Daryl had set up. Beth watched as Daryl raised his crossbow, aim set on the back of Dillon's head. Beth was just about to protest when Daryl let his arrow fly. The arrow sunk deep into Dillon's head, he swayed and then toppled to the floor, blood seeping out around him. "What was that for?!" Beth exclaimed, rushing to the boy's side.

Daryl met her at Dillon's corpse. Without a word he pulled back Dillon's collar. "He was bit, I saw it when he lowered his gun," he said. Sure enough, there was a deep bite wound on Dillon's neck. Beth didn't know, but she started to cry.

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't know why, but Dillon's death awakened something inside her. A yearning to see Judith again, to see Carl and Rick alive and well. "We should bury them," Beth hiccupped.

Daryl pulled her in close to him, not wanting to see her cry. "Them?" He asked her.

"Him and his mom," she answered, looking up into his eyes. Daryl nodded, hugging her into his chest. When he tears eventually stopped, she pulled back. "We should do it before it gets dark." Together, they dragged Dillon's body out of the Bass Pro, leaving a streak of crimson in their wake.

They dragged him down the escalators and out through a different entrance. They returned for his nameless mother. They dragged her by the ankles out to join Dillon. "I'll be right back," Daryl said and walked back inside the mall. It was only moments that he was gone.

When he returned, he had a shovel with him. "There was a hardware store right inside," he said, admiring the handle of it. Beth nodded, not able to conjure up anything to say in the moment. She may not have known Dillon all that long, but she was sad to see the young boy go.

Daryl stuck the shovel into the ground and booted it farther into the tough soil. Beth watched as Daryl broke a sweat in the afternoon sun. His arms glistened with sweat as they struck the earth time after time. She was glad Daryl had spilled all of his feelings for her.

She didn't have to make this moment a private one. She was allowed to admire him without having to feel ashamed of it. She smiled to herself. Daryl knew she was watching him. He was always so ashamed of the way he looked.

The layer of grime that was on his skin, the hair that hung down over his eyes or the ripped up clothing that he chose to wear embarrassed him. But with Beth, none of that seemed to matter to her. She chose to find the best things about him. The electric blue of his eyes, the hard planes of his cheeks, his heart, his distinct accent – those were the things she fell in love with.

Daryl was almost the same with the blonde. He's seen Axel look at her, Zach look at her and even Carl. All they saw was her doe eyes, her plump lips, round breasts, long legs and lustful curves. They didn't see into her heart, they didn't see how passionate she was. Daryl wiped his brow, catching a glance from Beth.

The hole he was digging was almost done. They decided that only one hole should be dug. Two was a waste of time and Dillon and his mom deserved to be buried together. One last shovelful and he was done. He stuck the shovel into the ground away from the hole.

Beth stood up and wiped herself off and stood at the feet of Dillon's mother. "We'll lower them in," Daryl said, having experience from burying their dead before. Beth, on the other hand, had never had to bury someone before.

She grabbed his ankles, they were already ice cold. She shivered at the thought. Daryl had a hold of his arms, and they lowered him into the freshly dug hole. The boy looked peaceful in death and that's what made Beth start to cry again.

Dillon was finally able to rest. He was finally able to stop fighting this shit world. She was almost jealous. They let him drop the last few inches. They then moved to his mother, doing the same thing, lowering her in beside her son.

They were finally laid to rest. Daryl watched Beth carefully, tears still streaming down her face. He pulled her into him as she wrapped her arms around his torso. She buried her face into her chest. Daryl wanted to make all her pain away, but he knew that wasn't possible. Not in a world like this.

They stayed in their embrace until Beth had calmed down. He kissed her hair as she drew away from him. They had to finish the job. Silently, Daryl plucked the shovel out of the earth and started to fill the soil back in. Beth watched, arms curled around her midsection tightly.

It didn't take long to get the whole filled in. Daryl shoved the shovel at the head of the grave, marking their final resting place. He opened his arms for Beth to join him, she didn't hesitate. They headed back inside as the sun started to descend in the sky. Daryl led Beth through the mall hands on her shoulders.

He could feel how tense she was from the past week's events. She needed to relax, and so did he. "Beth, this mall has a gym. That means they have showers. Would you yah like to take one?" He asked at the foot of the elevators.

She peered up at him through her eyelashes. "With you?" She asked, feeling slightly uneasy. She had done kissing before, but showering with someone else was completely knew. Besides, she was still a virgin.

Daryl nodded. "Only if yah want. I know yah must still be a virgin n' we're still pretty new at this…." He trailed off. "But yer so tense, Beth. Yah need to relax. Besides, we haven't had a shower since god knows when," he continued.

Beth gave a small smile. "It's okay, I'd like it. I need to loosen up and relax," she said. Daryl gave her an encouraging nod. Together, they turned around and headed towards the gym. They moved past all the workout equipment and into the shower area.

Beth turned around and looked and Daryl. "Did yah wanna do this together?" He asked, giving her complete control of the situation. He had her now, he didn't want to lose her because she wasn't ready. She took a deep breath and nodded. "I think I'm ready," she said.

"I know yah are," Daryl said. They moved into the shower area, the showers only separated by a tiled wall tall enough to cover the waist. Daryl tried the water and it came out in a weak stream at first but gained more pressure the longer it was on. He was relieved the water still worked.

He shrugged off his vest and draped it across a wall away from the shower they were using. Beth smiled at him and tugged on the ends of her shirt, raising it above her head. It was the first time that Daryl was allowed to see all of her.

He stole a glance before in the tent back at the bus, but then he felt awkward. Now, he was completely fine and so was she. She stepped out of her jean shorts and stood before him. Daryl removed the rest of his clothes except for his boxers. "Are yah still sure 'bout this Beth? I don't wanna make yah do anythin' you don't wanna," he said.

Beth placed her hand on his chest, right over his tattoo. "I want to," she said. Daryl's gaze landed on her own chest then and back up to her eyes. She nodded, fingers digging into his chest. "Go ahead," she breathed, deciding to be bold.

Daryl's hands moved behind her back to the clasp of her bra. He deftly unclasped it and it fell slack on Beth's chest. She shrugged her shoulders, letting the pale pink bra fall to the tiled bathroom floor. She was exposed now and she felt fine. She was scared of this moment for so many years and here it was – nothing like she thought it would be. It was so much more.

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**Next chapter will have smut, don't worry! Question: detailed or not? & now onto the sneak peek of my new Bethyl story; Powerless.**

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_You hid your skeletons when I had shown you mine_

_You walk the devil that I thought you'd left behind_

_I saw the evidence, the crimson soaking through_

_Ten thousand promises, ten thousand ways to lose_

- _Powerless by Linkin Park _

It had been over a year since Beth Greene had taken a razor to her wrist. But it had all changed that night. Self-harm had become her nightly routine – her demons coming out to play again. She didn't want to die, but she couldn't handle the pain alone. The razor was her best friend. It comforted her when the bruises started to decorate her skin, all in places where no one would see. It helped her through the rape that no one would hear. When her worst fear became man, and not the walkers that wanted to kill her. She was powerless against her rapist, and powerless against herself. But someone brings her back from the destruction of herself. Someone she never would have thought. Someone who she grows to love.


	16. Closer Than Ever

**So you guys have been waiting for this chapter and I'm sorry it took so long to write! I found out it's a little harder to write smut that I thought it was this time around. I hope you guys still like it! Btw, my new story was published last night if you didn't know! You can find it here: s/10000619/1/Powerless Anyways, enjoy the chapter! Thank you for all the reviews (:**

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Daryl's hands were gentle on Beth as they glided over her body. They were under the showerhead together, water crashing down over their shoulders. Daryl leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Beth's eyes fluttered shut as she surrendered herself to him. She wasn't having second thoughts, this was everything she wanted.

His kisses drifted downwards to her neck. He nipped, nuzzled and sucked on his way down. Beth couldn't help but moan from his touch. Her fingers tangled in his wet hair as she kissed him back once again. They kissed like they have done it for years, when in reality they hadn't. It turned Beth on even more.

Daryl broke away from the kiss again to pick Beth up under her thighs. She was a little surprised when she felt him against her, hard. She pushed the thought away and let herself enjoy this moment. She needed to relax. Daryl set her on the small wall separating the showers.

He kissed the same trail down her neck and collarbone once again before he took one of her nipples in his mouth. Beth shuddered underneath him. He tugged on it with his teeth, knowing it would set her off. Beth arched her back, filling his mouth even more. Daryl kept ahold of her so she wouldn't fall over backwards off the wall.

When she had become accustomed to the feeling, Beth reached down to Daryl's length and grasped him. Daryl abandoned her breast and hissed out, reveling in the feeling of her stroking him. This was the first Beth had ever done this, but it felt natural to her. Beth leaned against his chest as she continued up and down his length.

"Dammit, Beth," Daryl grunted into her ear. A smirk grazed her lips. She was happy that she could please him. His hands tangled in her hair again, pulling her head back to gaze at him. He planted a kiss on her lips again. He untangled one of his hands from her hair and grabbed her wrist. "My turn," he smiled.

Beth's eyes flashed open. It wasn't that she was nervous, it just was that he would be the first man to virtually set eyes on her nether regions. Daryl scooted her forward to the edge of the tiled wall so she was almost teetering off of it. Daryl then inserted two fingers into Beth.

A moan floated from her throat involuntarily. It was the first time that anything besides a tampon had been in there. "You're so wet," he purred against her sensitized skin. She gripped his broad shoulders as his fingers started to move in and out. Her fingers dug into his skin as the pleasure spiked within her. "Oh, God!" She called out as she clenched around him.

Daryl's fingers stilled within her as her juices spilled out of her. He smiled, accomplishing what he set out to do. She needed to relax, and this was the best way he knew how to help her. Daryl pulled his fingers out and looked at Beth. "Is that all yah got?" He teased.

Beth looked at him with a look filled with lust. She shook her head and kissed him again. Now that they were both comfortable with each other, it was time to take it a step further. He knew it was risky fooling around without a condom, but he would be careful. The last thing he wanted to do was get Beth pregnant.

Daryl once again grasped underneath Beth's thighs and hoisted her up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She wouldn't be set down again, only backed up against the wall. "Tell me if I hurt yah," he said, eyes connecting with hers. She nodded, but only kissed him again.

He then eased her down onto him. He felt foreign inside her, but she reveled in the feeling of being so close with him. "Yer so tight, girl," he growled. Beth ignored his statement and only focused on him filling her over and over again. He thrusted into her, starting to pick up his pace.

Beth's pleasure started to spike again, feeling it deep in her belly. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, but all she could think at how good Daryl was at this. She was vaguely aware of his grunts in her ear. "Oh, Beth," he breathed, ramming into her again. He kissed her neck, sucking and bringing blood to the surface.

She was stimulated everywhere, making her clench around him again. Daryl smiled against her skin, feeling himself quicken at the feel of her around him. Abruptly, he pulled out of Beth, spraying his seed onto her belly. It only a hurt a little when he pulled out, but she was glad he did.

She looked down to her stomach, glancing to the almost white liquid coating it. "Let's get yah cleaned up," he said, lowering her so her feet touched the floor again. Her legs felt like jelly after what they had just done. It was almost awkward for her to walk as well. "You'll be sore fer a little while," Daryl said, noticing. Beth smiled and nodded, she didn't regret it though.

Daryl squirted some body gel onto his hands from the dispenser on the wall and worked it to a lather in his hands. He then worked it onto Beth's skin, starting at her shoulders and back. Her worked his way down over her breasts, her underarms, her stomach – making sure to clean his evidence away, between her legs, her bottom and her legs.

She washed it off, turning for him. "Now yer hair," he said, squirting shampoo into his hand then. She stayed facing away from him and let him wash her hair. It was overly knotted up from him holding it and tugging it but it was nothing conditioner couldn't help.

When he was finished with both the shampoo and conditioner, Beth turned to him, blinking the hot water out of her eyes. "My turn?" She asked, knowing he wasn't very keen on being touched deliberately. He had handled earlier very well. He nodded.

Beth squirted the body wash into her palm and worked it until the suds filled her hand. She started on his chest, working it over the sparse patch of hair, over his tattoo and onto his shoulders. She would never get over the face that this man was hers – muscles, heart and mind, all hers.

Her hands slid around to his back, working the suds over his broad shoulder blades. She gasped a little, feeling the scars crisscross over his back. She kept it to herself as he watched her. He knew she felt them, and she knew that he knew.

She continued to wash his body, covering all the important areas. He washed himself off, facing away from her, allowing to look at the scars in full. They were dark X's across his whole back. She knew there was only one way that they had gotten there. Still, she decided not to say anything. He would open up to her in his own time.

Beth then washed his hair when he turned back around to her. She laughed, having to push up onto her tiptoes to reach his hair. Daryl ducked down slightly, giving her the advantage. She scrubbed, fingernails against his scalp. "That feels good," he murmured, eyes focused on her face, though she wasn't looking at him. They had finished up in the shower, turning off the water and wrapping towels around themselves, Beth fully covered and Daryl only covered from the waist down.

They decided to get new clothes back at their camp. They left the bathroom and padded up the escalator to the Bass Pro. "Are yah tired?" Daryl asked, pulling the door open and letting Beth enter first. She nodded, yawning on cue. She giggled as she covered her mouth.

"Aren't you?" She challenged. She tried to ignore the nagging pain between her legs from walking. But it was also a reminder that he had been there and she liked it.

He shook his head. "A little bit," he said. She laughed and rummaged through one of her bags for an outfit. Since they wouldn't be doing anything for the rest of the night, she decided on more comfortable clothes. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a plain tank top on over her bra and underwear.

She noticed as she was tying her hair up into a bun that Daryl was fully dressed in his day clothes. "Aren't you gonna relax for the rest of the night?" She asked, gesturing towards his jeans and leather vest.

"I fully plan to," he said. "But I have some things I wanna do before that," he said, approaching her, tucking a strand she forgot behind her ear. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Don't worry," he continued. "It's nothin' bad. I just wanna make sure there ain't anymore stray walkers around the place that'll stumble upon us."

Beth was relieved at his reassurance. "Anything yah need?" He asked. "Since I'll be lurking around more shops?"

Beth thought for a few moments but shook her head. "I don't think so," she answered, wrapping her arms around his midsection. "Be careful, okay? I don't wanna wake up alone," she murmured against his chest. Daryl closed his eyes at her thoughts.

"You know me," he said. "I'm always careful." Beth nodded and pulled back from him, arms still around him. "Let's get you inta bed." He led her over to the tent that he had set up earlier and held the flap back for her to enter. Inside were some of the fish pillows from where Beth had passed out drunk to make it a little more comfortable. She smiled at the memory, even though it wasn't the best one to remember.

She crawled inside, flipping the sleeping bag open and slid inside. She stared up at Daryl with round eyes as he watched her settle in. He was about to let the flap drop close when she spoke. "Daryl," she started. "Don't be long. Please," she whispered.

He nodded, not thinking of anything to say and let the tent flap fall close. He grabbed his crossbow again, a knife and Beth's hammer. She had her revolver if she needed to use it. He then stalked out of the Bass Pro, intending to put down any walkers and another thing that had been on his mind for a few hours.

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**Hopefully everyone liked this chapter! Anyone have a clue as to what Daryl's other mission is? Reviews please (:**


	17. Georgia Peaches

**So, this is more just of a filler chapter, and a look into where some of the others are, actually just Carl. I've gone off some of the hints that they gave for the rest of season 4 and put my own twist on it. Enjoy the chapter!**

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Carl sat and watched his dad sleeping on the couch. It had been a few days since he had woken up and he was getting worried. Carl knew that the Governor had beaten him pretty well and had to heal, but he didn't think it would take this long.

They would need food and water, but Rick had told him not to leave the house they were holed up in. The walkers hadn't found them yet, but Carl wasn't going to take his chances. He took one look back at his father, still sleeping, bruises starting to fade, and walked out of the house. He tried not to think how he was disobeying him and potentially endangering them both, but he couldn't let them starve.

Carl knew if they sat desolate in this house for much longer, they would never find the rest of the group. He thought of Judith and his heart dropped. _There was so much blood, _he thought. He was determined to find her, to find her alive. But there was a doubt in the back of his mind that he would never see his baby sister again.

He made himself push that thought away, not allowing himself to think of it again. Carl trudged through the woods, hoping to see a squirrel or something else that he could eat, or at least fresh water – but nothing. He was starting to worry. If only he could find some kind of car, he would be much better off.

There was no way he could manage his father on foot alone. Carl was surprised that he hadn't encountered a walker yet and he had been searching for awhile. Though, he was searching for food or water, he found something else.

The house that they had taken refuge in was in the woods, secluded from anywhere else. Carl stumbled upon a development, a few cars parked in a cul-de-sac. He was careful as he approached the desolate little neighborhood.

He spotted something in the middle of the road. It was a walker's head, already put down, the knife still protruding out of its forehead. He knitted his eyebrows together. If the head was here, where was the body? Carl stuck his boot in the walker's mouth and jerked the knife out of its head.

Carl admired the knife in his hand, weighing it up and down. It looked familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Carl continued on toward the cars. Michonne had showed him how to drive before, so he knew he could do it if he ultimately had to. Carl pulled on the handle of the first door and it didn't open.

He didn't want to have to break the window open and attract and walkers. He tried the back door, too, just in case but it was locked. Carl moved onto the next car, which was thankfully unlocked. He slid into the driver's seat and looked to the steering column, searching for keys.

There weren't any. Carl opened the glove compartment and rooted around. There wasn't anything but registration, air freshener and a map. He took the map and closed it back up. He flipped down the sun visor and the keys fell into his lap, a smile on his lips. Carl jammed them into the key slot and turned it, the car roaring to life.

* * *

When Daryl returned back to Beth, she was already asleep. She was hugging one of the fish pillows to her body, face buried in the plush material. Daryl was tired. His little side-trip had turned into a much longer task than it should have been. He kicked off his boots, shrugged off his vest and jeans and laid down beside Beth.

He raised his arms over his head, trying to get comfortable. Daryl was just about dozed off when Beth started to talk. He had spent a couple nights with her to know that she didn't talk in her sleep usually. Daryl blinked as he tuned into her words.

"Don't…go," she grumbled, hugging the pillow tighter. Her face scrunched in slumber. Daryl knew she was dreaming. "Stop, no," she said, fear taking over her voice. Daryl propped himself up on his elbow, rolling onto his side. Beth then thrashed out, abandoning the pillow. "Don't leave me!" She yelled.

Daryl caught one of her wrists. "Beth! Wake up!" He exclaimed, shaking her shoulder lightly. Her eyes shot open and then focused on Daryl. Her pulse was fluttering in her throat and a sheen of sweat covered her forehead. "You were havin' a nightmare," Daryl said, letting her wrist go.

Beth sat up, pushing some loose hair out of her face. "You left me," she admitted, avoiding his eyes in the dark light. "I opened up to you and you left me," she said. "That's what happened in my dream." Daryl couldn't think of anything to say. "I know you wouldn't do that, but it felt so real."

"I'm not gonna leave yah, Beth," he said, touching her hand. Beth looked to him and gave him a small, sad smile. "Never. Yah hear me?" She nodded. "Let's get some shut-eye," Daryl suggested. She nodded again, laying down, curled up to him.

"Did you just get back?" She asked, almost already knowing the answer. He nodded silently. A silence fell over the pair. "Any walkers?" She asked finally.

Daryl's arms tightened over her. "None. I was lucky," he said. He kissed her hair, debating on whether or not to tell her about the part where he left the mall or not. He decided against it. "Goodnight, Beth," he said.

Beth snuggled in closer to him. "Goodnight, Daryl," she replied, letting her eyes fall shut. She knew with his arms around her, her dream wouldn't return.

Beth woke first, which was somewhat of a rarity between the two. Daryl usually would be up early, making a fire or cooking or hunting. Something to keep his mind occupied – he was just one of those people that had to always be doing something.

Her, on the other hand, could lay in the grass all day, watching clouds or reading a book. Ever since the world went to hell, she cherished the small moments. Back on the farm, she had been bored, barely allowed to leave the house.

She was happy that she had her family, but she couldn't help but think they were the only people still left alive on Earth. That their lonely little group would have to tackle the world full of walkers alone. And then she saw Rick carrying that little boy in his arms and Beth couldn't believe it.

It had been so long since she saw other humans that she couldn't believe her eyes. And then there were more – Glenn, Andrea, Daryl, Lori. And with them, they brought moments that Beth would always cherish. The times that they made dinner together, the look that Glenn would give her sister.

She could spend all day remembering those times and how happy she had been, but nothing compared to lying in Daryl's arms. She looked to him and his peaceful face. He looked so much younger while he was slumbering. She wanted to stroke his eyelashes and feel them against her fingertips.

"Can I help yah, little lady?" Daryl asked, eyes still closed. Beth froze and laughed. Daryl opened his eyes, blue eyes staring at her. "Thought I was still sleepin'?" He asked and Beth nodded.

"I was finally happy that I woke up first for a change," Beth admitted, sitting up and stretching. She had actually slept well except for the mishap with her dream.

Daryl grabbed ahold of his vest and put it back on. "You need some new clothes," Beth said, eyeing his outfit. He had been wearing the same outfit since they fled the prison. Beth had been at least alternating articles of clothing that she picked up at the rest stop, the bus and the house they had stopped at.

"My clothes are fine," Daryl said, looking down at his body.

Beth huffed, he was going to be difficult today. "Fine," she said, crawling out of the tent. She picked out an outfit from her backpack – a yellow tank top, denim shorts and her usual hiking boots. She changed quickly, tucking her pajamas back into the bag. "So, I think we should actually go through the mall and look for stuff today," Beth said as Daryl emerged from the tent.

He nodded, agreeing. "We could find something more suitable for breakfast," he said. "Instead of eating peaches again." Beth batted at his chest. She liked her peaches for breakfast.

"Don't insult my peaches," she said, glaring at him playfully. He chuckled at her.

"There ain't nothin' wrong with yer peaches. All I'm sayin' is that yer my only Georgia peach," he said, running his thumb across her bottom lip. She smiled up at him as he cupped her chin. She was his Georgia peach and he was her mountain man. They were an unlikely pair. She was soft where he was hard. They were complete opposites. But Beth liked to think that was why they worked together so well.

* * *

**I'm not too keen on how I ended it, but I liked it. Also, we still don't find out what Daryl's second mission was or why he left the mall but I'm not gonna come right out and say it. You'll find out soon (: Tell me your ideas on where he went! Also, I had an idea for a Beth & Daryl AU story. Should I pursue it? Review please!**


	18. Curiosity Killed The Cat

**Okay, so a lot of you didn't enjoy the last chapter so hopefully you'll all like this chapter a little better. It has some action in it! Review please! Oh, also check out Powerless and Damn Your Eyes. DYE is the newest story I just published - a Bethyl AU (: Review please!**

* * *

Daryl and Beth made their way down the escalator, empty bags hanging off their backs. They were going to scavenge for supplies or food. Though, Daryl doubted anything would be left over from Dillon and his mother. Neither Beth nor Daryl knew how long they had been hiding out for.

They ransacked the pretzel stand first, finding a few expired food items and a case of bottled water. They lugged the pickings back to the Bass Pro before branching out to the rest of the mall. They stared at the map, deciding where to go. "We could go to the food court," Daryl suggested. He figured that they would be able to find clothes and other basic necessities basically anywhere, but not food. And that was what they really needed. Beth leaned against his shoulder, peering up at him. "I agree. Let's go. We could find the stock rooms for the restaurants. I doubt anybody thought to look there," she suggested.

He looked down at her and smirked. "I didn't even think of it," he said, kissing her forehead. He tugged on her wrist, whisking her away to the food court area of the mall. It was a tunnel underneath the balcony, dark from the lack of electricity. It creeped Beth out.

But she knew that Daryl had cleared the place of walkers last night, or so she thought. Daryl hadn't actually cleared out any walkers, only went outside to complete his task. Daryl slid over the counter of the Chinese restaurant and helped Beth over it as well. "There might still be walkers down here," he said.

Beth furrowed her brow in confusion. "I thought you cleared them out last night?" She asked, pulling her revolver out of her waistband. She raised, aiming it to the side of Daryl. He paused and looked back at her.

"I did. But they might be trapped or had not have heard me before. So, just be careful," he told her, turning back to the closed door next to menu. He pulled it open and shined his flashlight in. The light would attract any walkers in the dark room. Before he entered, he tapped an arrow against the metal of the door.

They waited a few moments before heading on in. It was a smaller room with rolling shelves taking up one half of the room and a freezer taking up the other half. "I doubt the refrigeration system is still running but it's worth a try," Beth said, shrugging her shoulders.

Beth pulled on the handle but it wouldn't budge. It was locked. It was a small padlock that hung off a small silver ring locking the door to the wall. She hit it with the butt of her revolver and broke open the corroded lock.

There was a temperature gauge next to the door, broken. Daryl watched her as she tugged the door open, slightly cooler air seeping out. She hesitated, looking to Daryl before opening the door wide. Daryl shined his flashlight through the doorway, peering inside.

It was only then that they heard the walker. It was too late, it had already tackled Beth, wrestling her to the ground. It's teeth snapped at her face as she screamed, struggling against its forearms. Her revolver had gone flying, a remake of the night at the bus.

But, before it could bite her, Daryl grabbed it by the nape of its collar and sent it flying off of her. Beth sat up only to watch Daryl's arrow pierce its head. He slumped to the ground, blooding seeping out of the wound. Daryl dropped to his knees, touching Beth's arm. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Beth swallowed and nodded. She ran her hands over her arms and neck, feeling for any broken skin but found none. He helped her to her feet and handed her back her revolver. They continued on into the freezer, seeing boxes of food ripped open and blood staining the floor.

"Someone must have locked him in here," Daryl thought aloud. "He ate all the food and must have froze to death where he turned," he said, looking into all the cardboard boxes. Beth did the same on the other side of the room.

She felt bad for the man locked in the freezer, but she should have thought the door was locked for a reason. "Any food?" She asked, only to receive a shake of Daryl's head. They exited the freezer and turned to the rolling stock shelves on the other side of the room.

They mostly found seasoning packets, boxes of noodles and stale bread. They took the seasoning packets and noodles and continued on to another store. Subway was next in line after the Chinese place. They skirted around the counter, peering inside the containers of condiments that was under the glass.

Every container held molded food and rancid smell. Beth covered her nose as they continued to the back of the store. There, they found more molded food and bread that wasn't even worth taking. There were bagged chips and Doritos which they slipped into their bags. Beth and Daryl moved onto the next store and then the next until they had gone all the way through the food court. They garnered a good bit of food and beverages.

Beth heaved the backpack higher up on her shoulders as she spotted something. It was a door off to the side, labeled 'Janitorial.' She nudged Daryl and pointed to the door. "What could it hurt?" She asked. Daryl saw no harm in investigating what was beyond the door.

He nudged it open, not wanting a repeat of what happened at the Chinese store, but no walkers pursued either of them. They crept along the dark hallway, twisting and turning. "What is even supposed to be back here?" Beth wondered. Daryl shrugged in response.

They passed a few doors, but decided to work backwards. Up ahead, at another turn in the hallway, was a light. It shined against the ground as natural light. There was an exit. On the wall next to the corner read a sign that said "Loading Dock."

Daryl caught his breath and adjusted his grip on his crossbow before turning the corner. Beth peered over his shoulder, pushing up onto her toes. She gasped, watching the walkers shamble about at the opening. There was at least ten of them. Between Beth and Daryl, it was still a lot.

But they had caught whiff of them once they turned the corner. Their hisses and moans intensified and echoed down the hallway as they started to pursue Beth and Daryl. Daryl pushed Beth down the hallway as they broke into a sprint.

Beth tried to remember the way they had come but in the heat of the moment she had forgot. There was no light to follow. She wished she was like Hansel and Gretel, leaving bread crumbs for her to follow. "In here!" Daryl said, throwing open a closet door.

He turned the doorknob, hoping to a God he didn't even think existed that it wasn't locked and it was unlocked. Daryl darted in, pulling on Beth's wrist as she followed him in. Daryl shut and locked the door, backing up against he shelves that lined the room.

Only, he didn't know how forceful he had been and knocked a tool chest off the top shelf. It toppled over, the tools spilling out over Beth and Daryl. Beth had only been hit with a screwdriver and a small Allen wrench, but Daryl had been hit with a plethora of different tools.

The clamp hit him first in the temple and made him dizzy. Next, he was hit with the hammer, causing him to pass out and slump to the floor behind Beth. "Daryl!" She exclaimed, dropping to her knees beside him.

She cupped his cheek, screaming his name again. Blood was welling up on his forehead. She pressed her fingers to the cut that was bleeding, not caring about getting her fingers dirty. By now, the walkers were banging against the door, the wood holding up for now.

All that was between her and the walkers was a small piece of metal holding the door close. Beth's heart hammered in her chest as her thoughts were in a frenzy. "Dammit," she muttered, grabbing for her revolver. She was responsible for him now, not the other way around.

Ten walkers, she could do it. Tears were streaming down her face, but she would do it. Beth turned and shot through the door, hoping that she would hit at least one target. She screamed and shot again, defending what was hers. Life and Daryl Dixon.

* * *

Carl put the car in gear and pressed on the gas pedal. Even though Michonne had taught him a little about driving, he still was rusty. The car jerked forward and he slammed on the breaks, clutching to the steering wheel. He hadn't expected it to take off that fast.

He tried again, easing his foot onto the pedal. It took off much smoother this time. Carl leaned over the steering wheel, looking out for any walkers… or trees. He eased down the road, trying to map it out in his head how to get back to the house in the woods.

He had come here through the woods, and he couldn't drive through them to get back. He followed the road until it twisted around onto the highway. He knew where he was.

It was where he had seen the bus get attacked, but had been to scared to help or return to for supplies. He felt like a coward. But he was only a kid trying to save his dad. What help would he have been to a bus being attacked by a horde of walkers?

Carl pressed harder on the pedal, trying to speed away from the thoughts that haunted him. He turned off on the exit he needed and then turned onto the gravel road that led down to the house. He pressed on the breaks and put the car into park and took the keys with him.

When he got out of the car, he couldn't believe his eyes. His father, Rick, was lying half in and half out of the house, hands outstretched. It looked as if he had passed out. And Carl hadn't been there when he waked. Carl dashed to the porch and scooped his father up into his arms.

Rick's eyes fluttered at Carl's touch. "Carl…" he groaned.

"I'm right here, Dad. I'm right here," Carl had said, but it was no use. Rick had passed out again.

* * *

**So how did you like it? Everyone is in trouble! What do you think is gonna happen?!**


	19. Beg For Forgiveness

**So, hopefully you guys like this chapter! Last night, I worked out the whole plot for this story. Is there anything you guys would like to see? Leave it in a review and maybe I can work something out! Review please (:**

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Beth grasped the doorknob in her hand and Daryl's crossbow in the other. She had run out of bullets in her revolver. She was too scared to use the hammer that had hit Daryl in the head and his crossbow was the only other option. It was heavy, almost too heavy for Beth to use.

She now understood why Daryl's muscles were so big. Beth had seen Daryl use the crossbow so many times that she thought she could do it. If that failed, she had She shot one last look to Daryl before unlocking the door.

At the base of the door were a few walkers slumped against it. Beth's blind shooting had paid off after all. There were three walkers left, reaching through the door to get at the pair of them. Beth stuck her foot out and kicked the closest walker back, causing a domino effect. Beth stepped out into the hallway, raising the crossbow to her eye and pulling the trigger.

The arrow sailed through the air and into one of the walkers skull. She smiled, but the other two were starting to get back. Beth looked to do the crossbow and her smile faded. She forgot she had to reload it manually, and the arrows were on Daryl's back.

She dropped the crossbow to the floor and unsheathed the knife from her waistband. Before the walkers could get back to their feet, Beth sunk the blade deep into their skulls. Blood sprayed her face and she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to get infected from the blood. She put down the other walker and slumped against the wall.

Beth did it, she killed all the walkers. She had a quiet celebration with herself before dashing back in to tend to Daryl. He was still unconscious in the janitor's closet. Beth tapped his face lightly, seeing if he would respond. Unfortunately, he hadn't. Beth ran her hands through her hair, desperately trying to think of what to do.

They had so much supplies with them, she couldn't risk leaving it where more walkers could easily come back into the mall. She would have to take it with her. Then she had Daryl and the crossbow to take care off. She thought she was strong enough to drag Daryl over the linoleum floors.

Her mind set, Beth strapped one of the heaviest backpacks to her back and tied the other two to Daryl's sides with a bit of rope she found in the closet. She strapped the crossbow across her back, trying to keep Daryl as light as possible. Though she had made the backpacks heavier with the tools she collected from the closet. Beth grabbed both of his wrists, extending his arms over his head and drug him out of the small closet.

He was heavy, but nothing she couldn't manage. But by the time Beth had made it back to the food court hallway, her back ached and her arms burned. Daryl's head lolled back, facing her. She glanced down to him and it made her keep going. It was her job to get him to safety. She knew that he would do the same for her. "Come on, Beth," she grunted, convincing herself to start moving again. It felt like a lifetime that it took to get Daryl to the base of the escalator. She set him down, partly for a breather and partly for time to figure out how to get him up the sharp stairs.

Beth didn't want him to get cut up on the escalator, but she didn't think she could carry him either. Then there was the bag issue. She could leave the bags here and come back for them or she could take the bags up first and return for Daryl. She didn't feel safe enough leaving him here first.

Sliding off her backpack, she piled up all her belongings next to the escalator. She untied the rope from around Daryl's midsection and added his bags to the pile. Beth stepped around his motionless body and braced his back forward. She then wrapped her arms around his chest and heaved him up the first step.

Her chin rested on his shoulder as she backed up the next step and heaved him up the next again. This was working out well. She lifted him up each step, letting his behind rest on the step until she raised him up, dragging his feet up to the next step. It was good that he was wearing ankle high boots or his heels would have been torn up.

By the time they reached the top of the escalators, Beth was out of breath. She never thought it would be that hard to haul someone up a flight of steps. But Daryl weighed almost twice as much as she did. Besides, muscles weighed a lot more than fat did. The Bass Pro wasn't far away now.

She grabbed his wrists again, hauling him towards their camp. Beth set him down when she reached the glass doorway of the store. She wiped at her brow, her hand coming back stained with sweat and blood. She allowed herself only a minute to catch her breath before swinging open the door and propping it open with her heel.

Dragging Daryl through the door, she didn't stop until she had made it to the tent. Beth flung the flap open wide and helped him through the entrance. She laid him amongst the fish pillows and propped his head up. She was worried that he would have a concussion.

Before heading back for her belongings, Beth wet a washrag with a water and laid it across his forehead. She wasn't sure what to do with him, but it seemed like a start. With nothing else to do in the moment, Beth headed back out of the store and down the escalator, back to her belongings.

She assembled the three bags on her back and carried the crossbow in her arms. It weighed her down tremendously. She thought of it a sick way to lose weight. But still, she trudged back up the escalator and back to Daryl. She dumped her load on the floor outside the tent before staying at Daryl's side.

Beth flipped the rag over on his head, not before checking the cut on his forehead. With all the blood washed away for the most part, it didn't look as gruesome as it did before. It was small, but it gushed. It didn't look like it needed stitches. Beth was lucky, she didn't know if she could have handled that.

While she was on the thought of it, Beth grabbed the medical backpack and rooted through it. She giggled at the thought of putting a Band-Aid on Daryl's forehead and him waking up to it. She decided against putting the bandage on it.

Instead, she pulled out Neosporin and a gauze square. She dabbed at the cut with the gauze, making sure all the blood and clots were wiped away before applying the Neosporin with her finger. Now, only if he would wake up. Beth kneeled, cradling his head between her thighs. She wiped at his hair. "Oh, Daryl. Wake up," she whispered.

Still, he remained silent. Beth wandered what was going on in his mind. Could he hear her? Or was he completely lost in oblivion? Beth didn't know. She did the only thing she knew how to do. She sang. It was a small lullaby that she had learned from her mother.

It was something soft to coax him out of his extended slumber. She was on her second verse when Daryl had started to stir. His eyelids were starting to flutter, she could see his eyes moving beyond the lids. She sang a little louder, hoping it would work. Before she knew it, Daryl's blue eyes were staring up at her. "Beth," he croaked, his throat dry.

"I'm right here," she said, leaning down over him. "You took quite the hit to the head. I suggest yah don't do that again," she smiled. Daryl chuckled softly, a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

Beth was just happy that he was awake and talking. "I'll try not ta'," he said. His eyes unfocused from her face and looked at their surroundings. "Yah drug me all the way back up here?" He asked, regaining his voice back. Beth nodded. "Damn."

She laughed again. He was still her Daryl. "Did you want to try sitting up?" She asked and he nodded against her legs. Beth slid out from underneath his head and grabbed ahold to the inside of his arm. Daryl sat up, his head swimming only a little. "How're yah feeling?" She asked.

Daryl nodded. "Good. Can I get some water?" He asked. Beth ducked outside the tent quick, grabbed the water, twisted the cap open and handed it to him. He took a few swigs before handing it back to her. "You killed all those walkers?"

Beth put the cap back on the water. "Yeah, I honestly don't know how I did. I don't know if it was the adrenaline, or what. But I did it," she told him. Daryl cracked a smile and leaned forward, planting a kiss on her lips. She could still feel the smile on his lips. Beth pulled back, a smile gracing her own lips. "Enough of that, we don't want yah getting dizzy again. We'll save that for later. Give yah something to look forward to," she said.

Daryl laughed, shaking his head. "I always look forward to yah, Beth," he said. It was a nice moment between them. Daryl didn't have to say thank you for what Beth did for him. She didn't _need _a thank you, she would have saved him regardless.

For the rest of the day, Beth stayed with Daryl, making sure he was okay. They shared conversations on a range of topics. When he was feeling better, they both left the tent and Beth started a fire, making sure to keep it contained. They didn't want to burn down the place.

They cooked some of their pickings that they found in the food court. It was almost like a five-star meal to them. It was a normal moment between Beth and Daryl. It almost felt like before the walkers came. But Beth had to realize that they were never going away. That tomorrow she could be dead, or that she could lose Daryl for real.

* * *

Carl had managed to get his father back inside the house and onto the sofa. He tried not to think about what his father was thinking when he woke and Carl was not there. He must have felt betrayed, and that made Carl want to shoot himself.

From the tumble that Rick took from the sofa, he had ripped up his elbows. Carl had nothing to tend to them with. The best he could do was wipe at them with the sleeve of his shirt. Carl sat down on the hardback chair angled towards his father.

He was focused on the rise and fall of his chest, making sure each time it fell it would rise again. Carl leaned forward onto his fists. He would sit here until Rick woke up again. He couldn't get it out of his head that he wasn't there for him.

He wasn't there for the bus, either. Was he turning into a coward? He wouldn't let himself stoop that low. That was how you died in a world like this? He had been so consumed in his thoughts that he didn't see his father's breath falter and then completely stop.

Carl only noticed a few minutes after, and then it was too late. He ran to his side, pressing his ear to his chest, looking for a pulse but was only met with silence. Carl beat against his father's chest, out of anger, fear and sadness. He had lost both of his parents. He was alone.

Carl tore away from his body, tears blurring his sight. His slipped his gun out of his holster, making sure the silencer was on all the way and aimed at his father. Killing his mother wasn't easy, but this was even harder. He should have been there. If he was there, maybe his father wouldn't have died. The last words off his lips were his name. And he would never forgive himself for that. He pulled the trigger.

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**So Rick is dead! Carl is here to stay though, he will become an important part in the story. So don't worry about him dying anytime soon. Did yah like it?**


	20. Follow The Blood

**I am so sorry for not uploading for the last few days. My creative juices just weren't flowing. Anyways, this is a longer chapter for you all! Question: how long do you want me to continue this story for? I have quite a bit planned out if you want me to continue it as long as I can. Just let me know! Also, I have found this flawless story called "The Best of Me" by Riain. It is one of my favorite Bethyl stories on here, check it out for me? (:**

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By late afternoon, Daryl was feeling much better. His headache had disappeared and he was able to stand without feeling dizzy. Beth walked him around the Bass Pro, one arm around Daryl's in case he would fall over and the other holding a shopping basket.

They took this time to wander the aisles, plucking off important items from the shelves. They were roaming the ammunition aisle, Daryl pointing at boxes they would need. The basket was starting to get heavy, but Beth decided to stay silent about it. "How much longer do you want to stay here?" Beth asked, out of the blue.

She knew it was a good place for them to stay, but it just didn't feel right to her. Beth felt like they should still be out there, searching for the rest of their group – or what was left of them. Glenn, Maggie and Hershel were gone. She didn't know about anybody else, but she felt it in her gut that they were still out there.

Daryl looked down to the blonde, thinking of what to tell her. The thought had crossed his mind as well. "A few more days," he finally said. "Just until I know I'm better. We're safe for the time being." Beth nodded and started to move down the aisle again. He also didn't want to tell her that he was feeling better, or the fact that he was waiting for someone.

That he was hoping and praying that Carl or Rick would stumble upon this place. Daryl didn't want to move on prematurely only to have the Grime's arrive after they had moved on. Even if it were Michonne or any of the Woodbury survivors, he would take it. When the basket was almost filled to the top with all kinds of supplies, Beth guided Daryl back to their living area.

Daryl watched as she distributed the items to the designated backpacks. He couldn't help but think she was beautiful. And he knew that Beth didn't feel that way about herself, not anymore anyways. He tried to envision her before the apocalypse came – in clean clothes, curled hair, makeup done perfectly.

But he couldn't. The Beth that was in front him now was the one he wanted. "Beth," Daryl said, propping himself up on one elbow. He caught her eye as she tucked away the last pair of heat-retaining pants. "C'mere," he said, holding out his hand to her. She stood, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and reached out to take his hand.

He jerked his hand back a little, throwing Beth off balance, but Daryl caught her safely in his arms – the lock of hair coming loose again. "Daryl," she drawled, almost chiding him, but a smile was on her face. Before she could say anything else, Daryl's lips were on hers. His hands roamed over her stomach as her tank top came up, her own hands twisting into his hair.

Beth didn't have to think when it came to situations like this with Daryl. Even if she was young, her body knew what to do. Daryl rolled over so that he was hovering over her body, distributing his weight not to crush her. Beth's fingers splayed over his back, fingers digging into the wing decals on the back of his vest.

He wasn't worried about her touching him there, not like he would have been if it had been anyone else. He was comfortable with Beth. "Oh, Beth," he breathed into her mouth. She was almost like his drug. Daryl's hands drifted to Beth's waist, fumbling with the button of her denim shorts.

She knew then that he was feeling _much _better. She let Daryl unbutton her shorts and drag the zipper down, exposing the light pink panties she had chosen to wear. She wished she had better underwear choices, but these would suffice. Daryl was in the process of shimmying her shorts off her hips when they heard the crash.

They froze, clinging onto each other, Beth's leg hitched around his back, hands on his shoulders. Daryl watched as the fear invaded her eyes. He could only imagine what her face looked like facing those walkers alone with him passed out. Daryl quickly fixed her shorts back and grabbed for his crossbow.

Daryl outstretched his hand to Beth, who graciously took it and stood up. She took her revolver off the backpack she was working on and placed her finger on the trigger, fear taking over her. Daryl held a finger to his lips as they crept out of the Bass Pro. Beth followed Daryl's lead as he leaned over the balcony, crossbow poised to take out any threat.

He looked back to Beth, only seeing one thing. Bloody footprints were tracked through the main atrium of the mall, disappearing underneath the balcony to where the first floor shops were. He couldn't tell the size of the footprints unless he was right there next to him. It was only one person – he could tell that.

Whoever was in the mall with them, was making Daryl's tracking much easier for him. He waved Beth on towards the escalators, keeping their feet light as they descended to the first floor. Once near the footprints, Daryl stooped down, taking into account of the size. They were smaller. The gate was of a normal, still alive human, not the shambling of a walker.

He looked to where the footprints led, into the bathrooms and behind a closed door. Daryl looked back to Beth as she watched him track. Watching him do what he did best really intrigued her. "What can you get?" She asked in a hushed voice.

Daryl stood back up, turning into Beth. "The person is human, still alive. By the size of the footprint, I'd say it's a young girl or boy," he said. Beth realized what he was saying, thinking of Carl. But he would be with Rick, there was no way his father would leave his side and let him venture out into the walker-infested world alone. Beth scratched that idea out of her head.

For one, she didn't want to get her hopes up. And two, she didn't want the person to end up like Dillon. "Should we go after them?" She asked, even though she really didn't have to. Daryl nodded and waved her on again.

"Keep that gun pointed past me at all times. We don't know how this person is going to react," he instructed, casting a glance back over his shoulder. Beth nodded once, raising her gun again, making sure that the aim was no where on Daryl's body. They passed by the entrance of the gym, a blush burning onto Beth's cheeks as she remembered their moment of intimacy.

But this wasn't the time to relive that moment. They were in danger, or were going to be. As they approached the door, they both avoided stepping in the fresh boot prints. Daryl swung the door open, his crossbow ready to fire if need be. Yet, nothing was beyond the door but the trail of bloody boot prints leading around the corner of the bathroom. He lowered his crossbow a fraction before continuing through the door, Beth right behind him.

Before, when Beth dreamt of going on runs with the group back at the prison, she imagined what it would be like. She imagined that it would be a rush, always in the line of danger, waiting for the walkers to attack. But then she remembered the winter that she had to endure before they made it to the prison. It was nothing like that. And it was nothing like it now, she was full of dread and anticipation – nothing close to a rush.

Daryl rounded the corner, eyes searching frantically for any movement. But, what he found was something else. Leaning over a sink, running his hand under the faucet, was Carl. His hands were being washed of blood which ran up to his forearms. "Carl!" Beth exclaimed, grabbing his attention.

Carl's head snapped to the sound of his voice being called. "Beth!" He called as she ran towards him. Daryl dropped his crossbow to his side as he watched Beth run forward and tackle Carl to the ground.

"You're alive," she whispered, pulling back and looking at him. She never thought she would see anyone from their group ever again. "Where's Rick?" She asked, rolling off of him and helping him up. Daryl had sauntered over, leaning against the row of sinks. "And what happened to you? You're covered in blood!"

Carl almost laughed at how nit picky Beth was being, but she had just reminded him that his father was no longer around. "It was a battle to get here, yah know," Carl started. Daryl had only noticed now that there were patches of sticky blood decorating Beth's shirt. This boy was filthy. "I saw the signs yah put up for me. But my dad… he, he didn't make it," he said, dropping his head so the brim of his hat shielded his face.

Beth almost keeled over from heart failure when she heard Carl tell her that Rick hadn't made it. She knew he was pretty beat up from fighting the Governor, but nothing like this. Beth was sure that he would have pulled through. She looked to Daryl, his eyes distant and pasted on the floor. Her breathing was getting shallow. She wanted to hug Carl again, but she knew he would never let her show him any sympathy. "What signs?" She asked, looking between the two of them. "We didn't put up any signs." Daryl kept his eyes on the floor.

Daryl looked to her as did Carl. "The signs. They were staked into the ground and spray painted over saying things like 'CARL THIS WAY." Or "HEAD TO THE MALL RICK," I figured there was only one duo of Carl and Rick left in the world so I decided to follow. I never thought it would be you guys, though," Carl explained to Beth.

Anger was starting to boil in her veins. "You left. That night you said you were clearing out walkers, you left me," she said, tears threatening to fall. She knew she was making a big deal out of it, but she just couldn't help herself. "You left me," she repeated.

Daryl peeled himself off the row of sinks. "It's not like that Beth. Carl would never had known to come here without Rick," he said, splaying his hands out.

"It doesn't matter!" She screeched. "You could have told me and I would have helped! Instead, you left me alone. You told me you would stay," Beth yelled. The tears had finally been pushed over the edge and cascaded down her cheeks. Carl took a few steps back, not knowing what he stirred up in her.

Daryl tried to reason with her, but he knew by the look on her face that doing so would be a bad idea. He never thought this would be her reaction when she found out about the signs. It hadn't taken him long to put them up. Daryl thought she would have been relieved to know what length he went through to find the group.

But maybe he didn't really know Beth as well as he thought he did. That abandonment, in the smallest form would set her off. She was left in this world by Glenn, Maggie and her father. She didn't need Daryl going off by himself to never return, not even giving her a warning of his departure.

Not knowing what else to say, so overcome by her rage and fear and anxiety, Beth turned and ran out of the bathrooms, revolver cutting through the air in front of her. Tears blinding her vision, Beth ran without a destination. She didn't want to acknowledge that she was running for her problems. And she really didn't want to think about how Daryl didn't follow her. She was alone, drowning in her thoughts.

Finally, she stopped running when she reached the other side of the mall, collapsing to the floor, head in hands as she sobbed. She remembered back in her cell when Daryl delivered her the news about Zach. She said she didn't cry anymore. How wrong she had been.

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**So, Beth is mad at Daryl, but we now know what he was doing outside the mall. And Carl is with them! He'll be staying with them for quite some time, if that doesn't complicate their relationship, I don't know what will! Also, they won't be staying at the mall for that much longer! Review please!**


	21. Safety In Death

** This chapter didn't take me long at all to write, actually. Hopefully you enjoy it, and don't forget to review!**

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Daryl stood looking at the bathroom floor, fist clenching and unclenching. He knew Carl was staring at him, but that was the least of his concerns right now. He had hurt Beth; the last thing he wanted to was to hurt her. "Are you gonna go after her?" Carl asked quietly. He had the least clue what was going on between Daryl and Beth, but it seemed bad.

Carl could only imagine the issues she was going through from seeing her father slaughtered like that. Daryl raised his eyes to look at Carl. His wrists were still stained bloody. He would have to ask him about all that blood and worry about if he was infected later. Beth needed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

She might not be safe in this state. Daryl knew there were still walkers around the mall and with her crying her eyes out she was vulnerable. Daryl nodded once to Carl and turn and ran out of the bathroom. Beth was harder to track. She was not tracking around bloody footprints and there was no natural signs to go off of.

He was going to have to do this the old-fashioned way. He stopped for a moment to listen to see if he could hear her cries. He heard her soft sobs radiating from somewhere. She couldn't have got far, but he knew she was still on this floor and still in the mall. It was a start. Daryl darted forward, scanning the area around him as he ran. "Beth?" He called out.

Upon hearing him call out her name, Beth's cries intensified. It only tipped off Daryl to her location. She was leaning against the opposite side of the mall's map, curled up in a ball, head still in her hands. He stood and watched only for a moment; his heart breaking even more in two.

He leaned against the map, alerting Beth of his presence. He slid down the length of it, sitting down beside her. He didn't touch her, not yet. "Beth, we need to talk," he said.

She lifted her face out of her hands, tears streaking down her face. Beth knew she was an ugly crier. She's seen herself cry before. Her face scrunches up, wrinkled chin and the bags under her eyes get puffy – a sight for sore eyes. "I don't know if I can forgive you right now," she said, getting right into it. "You left me here."

"Yah know I woulda came back," he started.

"You coulda got bit. Where would that have left me? Yah know I can't survive this world by myself, I would have been left waiting for you to just not return," she said, wallowing. A stray tear rolled down her cheek as she talked. Daryl reached out and wiped it away with his thumb.

He sighed. "You know that ain't true, Beth. Yah saved me today. All by yerself." He was trying to turn the situation around, make her stop crying. He couldn't stand to see her cry. Beth was shaking her head, still not believing him.

She wiped away at her tears again, staring at him. She couldn't resist herself. She fell forward into his arms, head resting against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat. "Daryl, those signs…" she started. "They could attract other people rather than just Carl. Have yah thought about that?" She asked.

She wanted to see his face, but she didn't dare pull back from him. She knew this was hurting him as much as it was hurting her. He tightened his arms around her. He _had _thought about it. He thought about the group from the rest stop. There had to be more of them. "I was hoping that Carl would arrive first," Daryl said, kissing her hair.

"We can't stay here," Beth said. She was scared. After what happened within the last week, she was shocked to the core. She almost lost Daryl, she _had _lost Maggie, Glenn, her father and now Rick. She couldn't stand to lose either Carl or Daryl. "We have to leave."

She started to get up, but Daryl held her close still. "Not so fast. We still have stuff to talk about. Like about Carl being here," he started. Beth pulled back only a little to look at him. Her brow furrowed. "He's not going to get between us… is he?" Daryl asked.

Beth shook her head, raising a hand to cup his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment, reveling in her touch. "We can't tell him," she said. He nodded, understanding. He knew that Carl had developed a little crush on Beth at the time they were at the prison. He might not take kindly to Daryl feeling up Beth all this time.

"I still want you," he said, leaning forward to kiss her, but paused against her lips; giving her the slightest touch. "Am I forgiven?" He asked.

Beth nodded. "But don't do it again. Please," she begged. Daryl only answered by kissing her passionately, fingers winding in her hair. It might be the last kiss they could share for awhile. One that they wouldn't have to hide.

Beth crumbled in his arms. She knew she couldn't stay mad at him forever. He knew he had to be honest from now on. He should have told Beth his intentions and they would never had to go through this small hiccup. They broke apart upon hearing Carl approach. Daryl stood, helping Beth to her feet. "Is everything good now?" Carl asked, taking in the scene before him.

Daryl nodded. Beth wrapped her arms around her chest and nodded as well. "What about you?" Daryl asked. "Yah came in here looking like yah showered in blood. Yah bit?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound too gruff.

He lowered his head, but shook it then. "Nah, I'm fine. I just had a hell of a time getting here. I had a car, but it ran out of gas just as I was passing by a herd on the highway," Carl explained to Beth and Daryl. They shared a glance.

"We came by that horde, too," Beth told Carl. She shivered at the time spent living on the side of the highway. "They got Glenn. He's dead. So is Maggie. We don't know about anybody else." Carl looked as if he had seen a ghost. He was sure that everyone had survived. The group was strong.

He lowered his head again, the brim of the hat shielding his face. He could have saved Glenn if he just stopped and helped. He would carry that burden on his shoulders forever; he couldn't forgive himself. He looked back up, Beth and Daryl both staring at him. "Have you got lots of supplies?" He asked. "I'm kinda hungry. I don't mean to be rude," he said.

Beth waved her hand at him, cutting him off. "Carl, don't talk like that. Our supplies is your supplies," Beth said. Together, all three of them made their way back upstairs into the Bass Pro. Carl's eyes almost glazed over at the sight of the stuff Beth and Daryl had acquired.

They were doing well for being on their own, he wasn't going to deny it. He was almost jealous, but he had no reason to be – this was his stuff now, too. Beth opened a can of beans for him, handing him a fork. Carl let the hunger get to him and he downed it in minutes. "Let's hope that doesn't come back up," Daryl said. Carl nodded, hoping too.

Next time, he would remember to ration it slowly. His stomach wasn't used to having food in it for a few days. He would have to slowly accustom to having food again. He scraped the insides of the can out with the fork, licking off the juices. "Where did you go after the prison collapsed?" Carl asked, sitting down on the floor across from Beth and Daryl.

"Well first we found this development, stayed there for a day and then moved on. We didn't wanna stay in one place for too long, we wanted to keep looking. We went back to the prison, where we found Maggie turned," Beth said, her voice turning grave.

Carl shivered at their story. He wondered if Beth had to put her down like Carl had to do to his parents. Beth was stuck in her thoughts after uttering Maggie's name again. She hugged her knees. Daryl continued on for her. "We then came across a rest stop, tourist stop kinda thing. Ran into some trouble there with another group. Stayed there for awhile until we came across the bus. That's where we found Glenn, he hadn't turned yet but he was infected."

Carl closed his eyes as he listened to him retell their tale. Daryl finished telling him how they ended up at the mall and about Dillon. Beth thought Carl would have liked Dillon. Carl thought his story was bad, but Beth and Daryl had been through a hell of a lot more than he had. He could only think about the rest of the group and what they were going through. He shivered again. "Beth and I decided we're going to move on. Those signs are going to attract a lot of attention, other people were bound to see them," Daryl said.

"We'll leave in the morning? Before anything else can happen?" Carl asked and Daryl nodded.

"I saw this place has a travel agency. There's bound to be a whole slew of information on the places around here. Maps and other possibilities of where we can go," Beth chimed in, her silence short lived. Daryl looked at her approvingly.

They stood, agreeing to ransack the travel agency. It was only a few doors down past the liquor store where Beth had gotten drunk. Before heading in, everyone situated their weapons. Daryl loaded his crossbow and swung open the door to the travel agency.

Everyone waited a few moments before Daryl instructed Carl and Beth to start looking while he stood watch for a few moments. Beth tucked her revolver into her waistband as she moved to the closest desk to root through it. Carl did the same. On top of the desk Beth was investigating was a map already laid out, black circles drawn over it along with crosses.

One of the circled areas was labeled "Alexandria Safe Zone." Beth grasped the map in her hand. "Guys, I think I found something," she called out softly. She didn't want to draw more attention to them than they needed if there were walkers in the store. Carl was instantly at her side, looking over her side. Beth pointed to the designated area for the Alexandria Safe Zone. "We could make it there," she said.

Though, from the looks of it, the safe zone looked as if it were several states away. It would take awhile to get there and the promise of safety wasn't even guaranteed. But it was the only lead they had. Beth knew how the map had gotten there. It was from Dillon and his mother. Beth wandered if she had gotten bit in this room.

Beth sidled up to Daryl, map in hand and showed him, brushing up against his shoulder. The little touches were what mattered now. "Washington D.C. is far off, Beth," he said looking to her eyes.

She nodded. "I know. We've made it far enough as it is, I think we can do it," she said. Daryl nodded, turning back to keeping watch. Just then, he heard the telltale sound of a hiss – a walker. It rounded a bookshelf and shambled towards them. It had a shaved head and empty eye sockets with blood cascading from the hollow spaces. Beth turned away as Daryl put it down.

He retrieved his arrow, wiping the blood off on his pants. "Let me see that map," he said, slinging the crossbow across his back. Beth held out the map to him and he studied it closely. Carl and Beth shared a glance. "We could do it. Straight shot from the Appalachian Trail. It starts not too far from here. We could go along it until we hit Maryland and break off from it," he said, folding the map along the creases. "We'll leave in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan," Carl said, raising his brows. Things were starting to look up for him despite the fact that he had lost his father. He would have loved to have gotten his father to the safe zone. But now that he thought about it, Rick was in a far more safe place than Carl could ever find in this world.

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**Now, I hope you don't think I'm letting them off the hook that easy! (;**


	22. Lies

**I'm so sorry for not updating in a few days. I've been busy with work, not feeling well and I decided to write a one shot that caused me to neglect my stories. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

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The mall darkened quickly with the setting of the sun. Beth dug the flashlights out of their packs and handed them to Daryl and Carl. They decided to scavenge what they could of the mall for their upcoming trip. There would be no places to find supplies of any sort. Carl insisted on going off by himself to the Med Express to find first aid supplies while Daryl and Beth headed to the clothing stores, finding suitable clothing for the changing weather. It would be cold soon.

"The kid misses his dad," Daryl said, skimming through the racks. "It's his time to mourn, we can't intrude on that." Beth knew exactly how Carl was feeling, she went through it just a week ago. She just hoped he would be okay on his own. Carl was survivor, she reminded herself. He would be fine. He made it here on his own he could handle getting medical supplies.

Beth pulled things off the rack, folded them haphazardly and stuffed them into her bag. Whatever looked like it would fit they took it. None of them knew what they were going to be needing or how much of it was going to be ruined in a month's time. Daryl figured it would take them a couple months to get to the Alexandria Safe Zone.

Even with the car, it would take them awhile to drive up the coast. Besides, on the trail it's hiking room only. Daryl cleared his throat, snapping Beth out of her thoughts. He was holding up lingerie on a hanger, a devilish smirk on his lips. It was black and lacy with white floral patterns streaking across the fabric. Beth's flashlight hovered on the garment. "You don't think Carl with get suspicious if he comes across _that?" _Beth asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Daryl sidled up to her, handing her the hanger. "Carl doesn't have a reason to be goin' through my bag," he said. Beth looked down to the set in her hands. She wanted to please Daryl and if this it what it took, she would go along with it. She nodded. Daryl grinned and stuffed it into his bag, saving it for a later date.

"Now, focus on clothes that will actually help us survive," Beth said turning back to the racks. Daryl chuckled under his breath and pulled more clothes off the hanger. They collected clothes for each other and Carl and then headed back out to the main atrium. "We should check on Carl," Beth said.

Daryl agreed, heading towards the Med Express five doors down. Beth peered inside before pulling the door open. "Carl?" She called, letting him know it was them and not a walker.

"I'm over here, Beth!" He called. She looked back to Daryl and waved him forward. He sounded okay to them. Carl was packing his backpack stock full of every kind of medical supplies imaginable. He had bandages, gauze, stitching equipment, antihistamines, antibiotics, vitamins, fever-reducing pills, soap, gloves, iodine, pain killers, birth control pills (why he grabbed those no one knew.) "I hit the jackpot. It was almost like this place wasn't raided!" He exclaimed, struggling to zip his pack closed.

It killed Beth to see Carl happy over finding medical supplies. She hoped that none of them would have to use it. "We got all the clothes we'll be needing for the winter," Daryl said, shifting behind Beth. He glanced to her and then to Carl as he hiked the pack up onto his bed. "We should get to bed. Leave early in the morning," he suggested.

Carl and Beth agreed. They made their way back up to the Bass Pro, sloughing off all the bags of stuff they collected. They had everything packed up but the tent. There was enough to fit the three of them in it if they squeezed. "We'll take another tent with us on the road," Daryl said as they crawled in. Beth kicked off her shoes and discarded them at the end of the tent where Daryl's crossbow lay.

Beth snuggled up with her fish pillow, wishing it was Daryl instead like it had been for the past two nights. Carl slept on the other side of Beth and Daryl on her other side. Carl was careful not to touch her but Daryl kept a hand on her hip, his actions not visible in the dark. With silence sitting comfortable over the group, they all drifted off to sleep.

Daryl was the first to wake when the mall started to lighten up. Beth was still curled around him and the fish pillow but something new was added to the mix. He had morning wood and Carl had his arm draped over Beth's waist in his sleep. Daryl shook his head, he tried to not think of it as a problem even when he knew Carl had a small crush on her.

He fumbled in his shirt pocket, feeling for the pack of cigarettes and lighter he had found yesterday. That would get his mind off of things. He made it down the escalator and out the doors they had first entered arriving at the mall.

Daryl stuck the cigarette between his teeth and lit it, sucking in a small drag. His dick was relatively back to normal now that he stopped thinking about everything relating to Beth. He was thinking about the trip they were taking off on today. It was going to be long and tedious. But if it meant safety, Daryl would get Beth and Carl there.

He finished his cigarette, outtened the butt and made his way back inside to Beth and Carl. Before actually returning, Daryl made a last round through the mall collecting some last minute things. He found tampons and pads for Beth, not knowing which she preferred but she would need them both regardless. He found a box of condoms and grabbed a second one just to be sure.

With all of these items in tow, Daryl entered the Bass Pro, knowing both of his companions would be sleeping. He stuffed the items into his bag next to Beth's secret lingerie. He couldn't wait to see her modeling it for him. He shook his head, stalking off to find one last item for Beth.

It was her revolver holster. He found it easily in the last row. Carl already had his own, just like his father did. He then remembered the tent. He found another one. With his last items in hand, Daryl went to wake Carl and Beth up. "Come on, we're burnin' sunlight," he said, shaking them awake. Carl was still attached to Beth but rolled over waking up. Beth hadn't even realized it was him holding onto her.

"Can we at least eat breakfast first?" Beth groaned, shielding her eyes from the light leaking into the tent. Daryl chuckled but held out a honey bun to her in a cellophane wrapping. He tossed one to Carl who tore it open ravenously. Daryl chewed on his own, too sweet for his liking but it was better than canned peaches.

Surprisingly, the three of them had gotten everything packed up quickly. Daryl finished tying the tents to two separate packs and stood. Beth had tied her fish pillow to her pack seeing as she became quite attached to it. Daryl slipped the holster out of his pack and held it out to her. "I found this for yah. It's much more comfortable than stuffing that in yer shorts all the time," he said.

She took it graciously, feeding it through her belt loops and buckling it in the front. She felt Daryl's eyes on her as she did so. Beth slipped her revolver into the holster – a perfect fit. "Thanks, Daryl," she smiled. He waved her away. She slipped on her pack, the weight of it causing her to sway backwards. It was heavy, but she could manage it.

"I think we're ready," Daryl said. Just then, a crack of thunder roared through the mall. Instinctively, everyone looked to the ceiling. Beth shivered, she hated thunderstorms with a burning passion. "We should get to the SUV before it starts pourin'," he said to no one in particular. Together, all three of them made their way down the escalators and out of the mall without another look back to their temporary home.

The sky was full of rolling clouds that almost looked like an angry sea. Beth prayed that the thunder and rain would subside until they were safe in the SUV. They dashed to the car, throwing open the doors and clambering in. Carl slid in the back while Beth and Daryl occupied the front seats. Daryl looked under the steering column to hot wire the car again, only it wouldn't take.

The rain had already started to downpour, hitting the windshield in large drops. "Dammit," Daryl said, hitting his hand against the steering wheel. He looked out the side window, the gas cap popped open. "Someone siphoned our gas." Beth looked to him, bewildered. Who would have stolen their gas?

She looked back to Carl in the backseat. "Does your car have any gas in it?" She asked, dreading to have to walk in this weather.

He shook his head gravelly. "I ran out just trying to get here," he said. "I rolled up to the mall on fumes." Neither of them spoke for awhile, just sat and listened to the rain beat against the metal of the SUV. "We'll have to walk," Carl finally said.

Daryl nodded, agreeing. He noticed the fearful look in Beth's eye. He could tell that she was afraid of the deafening thunder. But they had no other choice than to walk. Daryl knew their heading without looking at the map. He wouldn't risk getting it wet just yet. They would walk until they could find another car with a full tank.

"C'mon, Beth. It'll be all right," he said, persuading her. He propped open his door and climbed out, making his way to her door. Carl was already out in the rain, almost instantly soaked as was Daryl. He held his hand out to her and she took it.

Carl stood back as he watched the interaction between the two. He had never seen Daryl act this way before. Beth almost didn't want to leave the SUV behind. It had been with them the whole time since the prison. It had gotten her through some shit.

She climbed out of the car, dropping Daryl's hand so Carl wouldn't think anything of it and stalked off with her group. Their clothing stuck to them uncomfortably as they made their way out of the parking lot. She swiped her flyaways off her forehead as she looked back to the mall. She'd never forget the place. The place where she finally lost her virginity or where Daryl told her how he finally felt. It all happened there.

They passed one of the signs Daryl had made, the statement painted onto it now a lie. No one was at the mall. In three days, three months or three years, someone might see that and have hope, but it would only be a lie. Another crack of thunder shook Beth to her core, in this moment, she was thankful for the rain. It hid her tears.

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**Review please! Reviews get this updated faster! Also, thanks for all your support! **


	23. Just Can't Stay Away

**I think this is a record that I updated all my stories in the same day. There's a little surprise at the end of this chapter! Hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review!**

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The rain hadn't let up for hours. It still came down in thick sheets chilling the trio to the bone. Their skin started to chafe against the wet fabric. Despite this all, they still continued down the highway. Daryl guessed because of the weather that the walkers were downed. There were far and few between. He hadn't let them come close to them, though.

Beth walked next to Carl, Daryl leading the way. They were heading around Atlanta through the woods. It'd be miles before they could stop to rest. It was odd seeing the skyscrapers piercing the sky again. It was years ago that he had stayed in these woods with the Atlanta group. His mind was stuck on Dale, Lori, Ed, Jim, and many others. He shook his head at the thought of even trying to ransack the camp and make off with just his brother.

He was glad he didn't. He glanced back to Carl. The brim of his hat shielded his face but Daryl knew what he was thinking. He knew Carl was aware of where they were. Beth was left out. She had never left her farm and even then she only went to the prison. Shaking his thoughts away, Daryl paused for a second. "We're gonna head into the woods. Be on the look out. We all make it," he said. "When it starts to get dark we're gonna set up camp."

Beth and Carl agreed. They walked off the black top and into the cover of the trees. It felt nicer to not be out in the open as much. Now, though, it would be tougher to see the walkers coming. The rain slowed some as they walked farther into the forest, the leaves and branches slowing down the drops. Beth shivered against her wet clothing. Her socks squished in her boots and her wet hair still stuck to her face.

She squinted up to the tops of the trees, looking for any sign of the sun descending. It was still early in the morning, sunset was far from being close. Beth sighed and trudged on. A few hours later, it was early afternoon and the rain had stopped. They had stopped to eat, sitting against trees. Daryl had passed out the granola bars and bottled water.

Beth promised she would cook a better dinner when they had camp set up. They needed something to warm them up, but the granola bars would have to do for now. Daryl bit off the end of the bar as he zipped open his bag. He had gotten them as far as he could without looking at the map.

The backpacks were water resistant so the map was intact when he pulled it out, the same with all the belongings inside. He smoothed the map out over his knees, tracing the red and green lines across the map. He knew exactly where they were. Beth scooted closer, glancing at the map. He pointed, "we're here." He slid his finger across the paper to the start of the trail. "That's where we're headed."

He glanced at Beth, her eyes still trained on the map. "It's a long way to go," she murmured. Beth couldn't help it, she wanted to admit she was nervous. She wanted to cry. She had never been on the road for more than a few months. The way Daryl was talking it sounded as if it would take at least a year to get to the safe zone.

"If we keep moving each day and don't get stuck it shouldn't take that long," Carl said, throwing his wrapper to the side. He watched the interactions between the two of them carefully. He figured with a week of surviving between them, they would be closer. Beth almost forgot that Carl was with them.

She nodded, standing up, holding her hand out to Carl. "Then let's keep moving." He took her hand, feeling the wrinkled wet skin underneath and she pulled him to his feet. Daryl got up on his own, knowing Beth had to show affection to the both of them to keep Carl suspecting nothing.

He didn't know why he wanted to break it to Carl on his own time. Carl was old enough and lived long enough in the real world to know that Beth and Daryl's age gap wasn't exactly praised. Most normal people would frown up on it – but in this world, you could take what you could get.

Without another word, the trio headed farther into the wood. Beth was lost in her head, humming a tune she had forgotten the words to when Daryl stopped her, a hand clasped around her shoulder. She froze next to Carl. Up ahead of them, fifty feet away was a small group of walkers shambling and weaving through the trees. They were headed right towards Daryl, Carl and Beth.

Beth slipped out her hammer along with Carl and his pistol with the silencer attached. "We stay together," Daryl said. "We run if we have to. Keep the sun over your left shoulder. There should be a river up ahead here soon. Stay there if we get separated," Daryl instructed. He cast a glance over to Beth and she nodded.

She was the only one with a close-combat weapon; her only silent weapon. Daryl fired his first loaded arrow, taking down one of the six walkers. Carl shot as Beth ran forward, taking out the closer walker to her. An arrow flew by her head, not giving her time to look back to Daryl.

Swinging again, she lodged her hammer into the head of a walker. She jerked it free, spraying herself with blood. Carl shot again, taking out two more walkers. Daryl took out the last with his last loaded arrow. Beth smiled. She thought they made a good team. Carl held his hand out for Beth to high five. She slapped his hand out of the air.

"Let's keep going," Daryl said, ripping free his arrows from his kills. He wouldn't let the jealousy take him over. Carl had no idea that him and Beth were a couple. He couldn't blame him; he was just being a kid. Beth hung her hammer off her belt loops again and followed behind Daryl.

They walked for a few hours more, stopping a few times periodically to take sips of water. They had to ration it well. Like Daryl said, they came across a river. He had misjudged the distance of how far ahead of them it was. He splashed some of the water on his hands and rubbed it over his face.

He pulled his bandana out of his pocket, dipping it into the chilled water and then turned to Beth. She closed her eyes as he wiped away the blood from her face. It brought him back memories of cleaning her face of blood from the first night away from the prison. How different the circumstances were. "We should set up camp here," Daryl said, wringing out his bandana.

The sun was hanging low in the sky, setting the sky on fire. "We can boil some of the water too," Beth added. It would be easy to stay hydrated from the river. "Maybe we can catch some fish." It's been long since she tasted fish. It had always been deer that either Otis brought back while they were on the farm or Daryl at the prison. The more she thought about it, the more her mouth watered.

"I'll scout it out. You and Carl can set up the tents but keep an eye out," he said, fiddling with his crossbow. With that said, he stalked off in the opposite direction in which they had come. Carl eyed Beth but shrugged. Together, they untied the tents from the packs and started to put them together. It took them all but a half hour to put up both tents and put all their stuff inside.

The forest started to darken with the sun rapidly falling in the sky. "Should we make a fire?" Beth asked Carl. She missed Daryl; she wondered where he was. Carl nodded. "Let's get firewood together. Um, nothing good happened the last time I went alone," Beth said.

Carl stared after her, mulling it over in his head if he wanted to ask what happened. He decided against it. They spent a little while collecting firewood, Daryl still not back from wherever he went. Beth tried not to worry about him; but it was hard. Carl and Beth easily started a fire and kept it going. By now, it was pitch black and Beth was far beyond worrying.

"He should be back by now," she told Carl. He nodded. He agreed with Beth, but he wasn't worried just yet. Daryl was tough, he could take care of himself. He remembered back at the Atlanta camp that Daryl would go off for days alone before coming back with enough meat to last them for a few weeks.

The only time Daryl was in trouble when he took Beth's horse and got bucked off; ending up with an arrow in his side. Even then, Carl couldn't worry nor remember it quite well due to his own injury. "If he's not back by morning then we should worry," Carl said, poking at the fire with a thick stick. "We should eat."

Beth shook her head. She wouldn't eat without Daryl. "I'm going into bed. Don't go looking for him, okay?" She asked. Carl looked over his shoulder at her. He nodded. Beth disappeared into the larger tent, scooping up her still damp fish pillow and closed her eyes. She listened to the pop and crackle of the fire as she forced herself asleep.

Beth woke with a gasp. Something was trying to get in the tent. Her hand went to the revolver strapped to her thigh. She had forgotten to take it off when she went to bed. The tent zippered open and Daryl ducked into the small space. Relief flooded through Beth. "Daryl? Where have you been?" She asked. Though, her question hung unanswered.

She reached up as Daryl dropped to his knees. He leaned into her, hands twining in her hair as he kissed her lips. It took Beth by surprise. Daryl pressed into her, forcing her to lie down again. He nudged her legs open with his knee as his tongue grazed over her bottom lip.

Beth's thoughts were frenzied. Carl was just in the next tent over! He would hear them! Though, Beth couldn't deny him in this moment. Something was wrong and he wanted to cope with it this way. Beth slid her hands up his arms and pushed his vest off. Next came his shirt, breaking their kiss apart for only a moment.

Daryl made quick work of her holster and pants, shrugging them off. All that was left was her shirt and panties. Beth fumbled with his button, already feeling him grow hard against the seam of his jeans. He wanted her and bad. Before Beth tugged him free, Daryl pulled a condom out of his back pocket like he had been waiting for this moment for awhile.

Beth shoved his pants down around his thighs. Daryl rolled on the condom, positioning himself at her entrance when he was situated. Beth knew what to expect now when she rammed into her. She bit down on his shoulder to keep from calling out and alarming Carl. Daryl didn't even feel Beth's teeth sink into him.

He was quick to set a punishing rhythm. His hands kneaded her breasts through her shirt; her nipples straining against the material of her bra. Pleasure bloomed through out her, a dull heat radiating in her gut. It wasn't long before she was clenching around him, every nerve in her body stimulated.

She dove head first into her orgasm, chewing on the inside of her lip at the uncontrollable feelings pulsing through her. She wasn't aware she tasted blood until later. Daryl still pounded into her, only feeling himself quicken minutes later.

He collapsed against her as he filled the condom with his seed. His teeth grazed her jawline as he slowed down. He planted kisses in their wake. Beth only winced slightly when Daryl pulled himself out of her. He slipped off the condom and what he did with it after that, Beth didn't see.

She pulled her panties and jeans back up and buckled them. Daryl did the same when he softened. He pulled her into his arms, nuzzling against her neck, sniffing her hair deeply. Beth traced her fingers over the tattoo on his chest, the pattern of it committed to memory. If she ever wanted a moment to last forever; it would be this one, no matter the circumstances. "Don't ever leave me," Daryl murmured, tightening his arms around Beth. She shook her head, kissing his cheek. She didn't have to tell him she never would leave him, he already knew.

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**There's only two weeks and one day until TWD returns! Yes! What do you think is up with Daryl and where do you think he went for those last few hours of sunlight? (; **


	24. Where Danger Lurks

**So I'm kinda on the edge about this chapter. Not my best. It took me forever to write. But anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

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When Beth woke in the morning, Daryl was still clinging to her. His head lay on her chest like it had last night. It was rare that Beth woke up before Daryl. She stole a glance at him, eyelashes fanned against his cheeks. He looked so much younger in sleep and so much more peaceful.

She remembered how he stormed in here last night, not saying a word to her and then made love. Something was wrong. Beth wriggled out of his grasp and cradled his head in her lap, sweeping his hair off his forehead. There was a scratch on his cheekbone that she wasn't able to see in the dark last night.

Her fingers lightly drifted over it, the scabbed edges rough against the pads of her fingertips. He stirred underneath his touch. "Whatcha doin', Beth?" He asked, capturing her hands in his. He brought it to his lips and kissed it and holding it against his cheek.

"I was watching you," she admitted. "I noticed the scratch on your cheek. Daryl, what happened? Where'd you go?" She asked. Daryl shifted so now he was sitting up, legs crossed and knee pressed against Beth's. Her hands was still in his, him idly playing with her fingers and tracing the shape of her nail.

He shrugged before retelling his story. "I walked along the river ta see if I could find a shallower place ta cross. I ended up comin' across another group a survivors. I didn't expect ta see anyone else out in these woods. I ducked behind a bush but it had thorns, that's how I got this here scratch," Daryl pointed to his cheek.

Beth held her breath as he continued. She felt exposed out in the open now that she knew they weren't alone. Though, she knew they never were _completely_ alone. "They had cars, guns, supplies. I saw fishin' poles. Then I heard em' talkin'." He said, eyes flashing up to meet hers. Something told her it wasn't good what he was about to say.

"They were talkin' about how they found the mall and siphoned all the gas from the cars in the parking lot. Beth, even if we wanted to siphon gas yesterday we wouldn't have been able to. Then, they said that they wanted to move into the mall, make it theirs and they would kill anyone to take it over."

His last statement hung in their air. Beth found it almost hard to breath. She could have been dead in a few days if Carl hadn't come and they all decided to depart when they had. "They're still out there?" She asked, squeezing Daryl's hand. He nodded. "We should go."

Daryl didn't have to argue with Beth on that. "I realized something else last night," he said. He pulled Beth against him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Yesterday was your birthday. You're nineteen, Beth. Happy late birthday," Daryl murmured, kissing her hair. A shock ran through Beth. She had missed her own birthday? She remembered telling Daryl that her birthday was two days away. But so much happened in those two days time that it had slipped her memory. "I realized that I hadn't gotten you anything. Just the earrings that yah never take out. I thought what more to give you than me?" He spoke.

Beth smiled against his shoulder. She pulled back and pressed her lips against his. "You're the best gift I could ever ask for," she told him. A blush burned on Daryl's cheeks. No one has ever remotely told him something like that before. One reason being he was never really a relationship kind of guy. He had always done one night stands and nothing more.

But Beth, she was different. "Hey, are you guys up yet?" Carl's voice drifted from the other tent. Daryl blew out hard through his nose. _Another_ moment ruined by that kid. He didn't totally tell Beth the truth of why he stalked off last night. He had gone off looking for a shallower place to cross, but he was also jealous. It was a new feeling for Daryl and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it yet.

He could tell Carl still had feelings for Beth. He saw it in the way he looked at her when she wasn't paying attention. In how he always made sure he walked a little behind her so Beth was in between the two of them. Daryl knew he was being foolish with being jealous of Carl, but he couldn't help it. Beth was his and she wasn't up for sharing.

"Yeah," Beth called, pulling back from Daryl. "We'll be out in a few." She then shooed him out so she could change without giving Carl any indication that it didn't matter to Daryl if she changed in front of him or not. Minutes later, Beth emerged from the tent in a sunshine yellow tank top (which was now dirty with filth and grime) tucked into the front of her light denim wash shorts. Her holster was buckled around her hips securely.

She decided on something different with her hair; it was trailing down her back in a loose braid. She flipped it over her shoulder and tucked her bangs behind her ear. Carl had a fire going and was warming up a can of something; the label had burned off already. "I told him about the camp," Daryl said, staring into the fire, leaning on his knees.

Carl squinted up at Beth. "We'll leave after breakfast. And happy birthday, Beth," he gave her a tight smile.

"Thank you, Carl," Beth said, sitting down between the two of them. After a few moments of silence between the three of them, Carl fished the can out of the fire between two sticks. He set it out in front of everyone and pried the lid the res of the way off. It was mixed vegetables; not exactly a breakfast food. Beth fished the forks out of her pack and handed the out.

The can's contents were eaten rather quickly as they were divvied up between the three of them. "Get to breaking down the tents, we don't want them comin' across us like I did them," Daryl said. Carl and Beth nodded, agreeing and set off to tear down the tents while Daryl put out the fire.

Beth cleared out her tent, folding the blankets neatly, the sleeping bags and the pillows. The stuffed them all back into her and Daryl's pack and tied on the fish pillow to the side of hers. She then got to tearing down the tent. Carl had half the stuff to pack; his tent was already lying flat on the ground, all the poles taken out.

She was quick to disassemble her own, folding the poles in on themselves and shoving them back into the tent's bag. She folded it up and tied it to the top of Daryl's sack. "Are we ready to go?" She asked. Carl and Daryl nodded. They slipped on their packs and started away from their little clearing.

Beth couldn't help herself from constantly looking around them, searching for the camp Daryl had told her about. All she could see was trees and random walkers off in the distance. It made her relax on a little. "So, Daryl?" Carl asked after a few minutes of walking. Daryl grunted in return. "Did you find a place for us to cross over the river last night?" He asked.

Daryl shook his head. "Nah, I didn't. It was too dark to tell by the time I got back. Anyway, we won't have to walk in the woods for the much longer, we're almost past the city," he told them both. She hadn't noticed before but he was clutching the map in his hands. She trusted Daryl knew where he was going.

"Is that where you went when the infection hit?" Beth asked, instantly wanting to take the words back. She didn't know why she wanted to know, or why she didn't want to ask him. She heard stories back at the prison of what it was like. Rounding everybody in and not knowing what was happening. She couldn't imagine what that was like. Somehow, she couldn't see Daryl being scared or being rounded up in the confines of the city.

Daryl stopped and looked back to her. "Merle and I were caught up in the traffic. We watched them bomb the city and that's when we found the group and Carl here," Daryl said. He watched her evenly. Beth tried to play it out in her mind of what he told her.

She tried to think about what would have happened if he had made it into the city. Daryl turned back to the map in his hands. "Let's keep going. It's not far now," he said, walking off again without another word. What Daryl thought wasn't far ended up being much closer than he thought. "I've been on the trail once before," he said aloud. "Down this road is the entrance, maybe there will be a car we can get a hold of."

Together, the three of them made their way out of the woods, the ground beneath their feet turning to asphalt again. The sunshine kissed their skin, bringing a light sweat to the surface. Daryl walked towards the center of the road but Beth hung off to the side, keeping her feet on the white line. "Hey, look," Carl pointed up ahead. It was another sign, only not painted for Carl or any other survivor.

It read for the Alexandria Safe Zone. At least there was some humanity left in people. All that was on the sign was an arrow, no mileage or directions. "Do you think those will be all along the trail?" Beth asked. She jogged forward next to Daryl.

"There's only one way to find out," he said, looking down to her. "C'mon, Carl," he waved his companion on. They jogged past the sign in the direction it was telling them to go. The start of the trail started anywhere around here. Awhile down the road was another sign and another arrow. What they hadn't noticed was painted on the other side.

The frantic remarks of other people who tried the same trail they were taking. 'Go Back' and 'Turn Around' were on the other side of the signs hoping to draw people away. "There it is!" Beth said happily. There was a small wooden sign next to a small stone archway in a tiny parking lot made of gravel. It read:

"APPALACHIAN TRAIL APPROACH

SPRINGER MTN., GA 8.5 MILES

MT. KATAHOIN, MAINE 2,108.5 MILES"

It wouldn't matter if they found a car or not, it was a footpath only. Enough room for maybe two people to walk side by side at some parts. "Uh, guys," Carl said, an edge to his voice. "Walkers, all over the path up ahead," he said, drawing his gun from his holster. Beth drew in a breath of fear, pulling out her hammer.

"We stick together again. This is the only way we can get to the Safe Zone," Daryl growled. Beth looked to him, his crossbow slung across his back. He held his knife out in front of him. There was no way that he would let Beth fight this horde of walkers hand-to-hand alone again. If they were going to survive; they were going to do it together. Their eyes met and she nodded, Carl looked to Beth and caught her eye. They were going to do this. They were going to make it to safety if it was the last thing they did.

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**So, who is ready for the adventures on the Appalachian Trail? I know I am! I have a lot of ideas so this story, I hope, won't be ending any time soon! I can always keep it going IF they make it to the Safe Zone (: Or a sequel!**


	25. Appreciate What Is Mine

**I actually love this chapter. And that's hard to say for me sometimes! Hope you like it as well!**

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As Carl, Beth and Daryl crept up the path, the walkers already caught whiff of them. It didn't take long from them to pinpoint the smell and charge after it. Carl's gun split the air in two with a loud crack. A walker fell at his feet. Beth only watched the man slump for a moment before darting forward with Daryl at her side.

Their weapons sunk into head after head, coming back stained red. Sweat and blood clung to her pale skin and pooled at the indents of her collarbone. Beth didn't dare to close her eyes as she swung her hammer forward again, crushing through the bone with a crunch. She tried to yank the head free, but she only slumped with the lifeless body she was clinging to.

She tumbled to the ground scraping her knees. The backpack weighed her down. Glancing up only once, the walkers started to descend upon her as she yanked on the handle. But in an instant, Daryl was in front of her. He lifted her under her arm and jerked the hammer free from the walker's head. He handed Beth her weapon back, the handle slick with blood. He had a light speckling of it over the bridge of his nose and cheekbones.

Daryl turned back to the fight, shoving another walker to the ground and stomping his head in. Carl's shots still rang out around them. It felt like hours that they had been fighting. It was an endless stream of walkers. Beth's arms stung and hung limp by her sides after each strike she delivered. She wouldn't let herself think negatively even if he thoughts flickered through her head for half a moment. Beth spun, looking to Carl and Daryl.

They were each in their own battles. She thought of Daryl's words earlier. She didn't know when he had actually spoken them to her; it felt like ages ago. _Run if you have to. _"Daryl!" Beth screamed. "Carl, we have to run! There's too many of them!" She hacked away at another walker, kicking him away from her and jerking her hammer free.

It was their only option. "Go!" Daryl bellowed, shoving away a walker. Carl pulled his trigger again but his gun did not expel a bullet. He had run out of ammo. He thrusted his gun into his holster and darted forward, narrowly avoiding a throng of walkers. He ran by Beth's side as they sprinted down the trail.

They stopped momentarily, turning to look for Daryl. Carl's hand settled on the slope of Beth's neck. She ignored his touch, worrying about Daryl. He was still cutting himself free from the mob of walkers. "We can't just leave him!" Beth shrieked. She stuck her hammer back into her belt loops, fumbling for her revolver. Heat boiled in Carl's veins. _Fear and anxiety. _

Beth raised her gun, but Carl only stopped her. "It'll just draw more in," he said. Beth huffed, holstering her gun again. He was right, it would just waste more ammo and they would need that for another time. But as if on cue, Daryl plunged through the pockets of reaching hands and shot down the path to wear his companions were.

"We're going. Now." He grabbed Beth's hand as he sprinted past. She thought if they moved fast enough the walkers would lose the trail. Well, she hoped. As they ran, the walkers seemed to thin out until there was a spare few of them. Daryl glanced behind them every once and awhile to see how many were still pursuing them. It wasn't many.

He hadn't realized his fingers were still twined with Beth's. As if something shocked him, his hand separated from hers. He wondered if Carl had taken notice. Beth looked down to her vacant hand, eyes flashing to Daryl's.

She knew it was because of Carl; she had to convince herself it wasn't her. "Let's stop," she breathed, sloughing off her backpack. Her shoulders ached, her hands were cramping and she was beyond parched. She unzipped her pack, slipping out her personal water bottle and chugging half of it down. Daryl watched her down the water in a matter of seconds.

"How are your knees?" He asked, taking a tentative sip of his own water. Carl drank some of his own water, stooping to the ground in a crouch and then leaned back against his backpack as he sat down, resting his arms on his knees.

Beth capped her water and sat down catawampus from Carl. She brushed her knees from of dirty and inspected the inflamed skin. She didn't see any blood, which was a plus. They only seemed to be brush burnt. "They're all right," Beth remarked. "I'll live to see another day," she smirked up at him.

He only chuckled. "What about you, Carl? You hurt?" He asked.

Carl shook his head. "I'm good," he squinted, taking another swig of his water. "We should be asking you, Daryl. You almost didn't make it out alive." The words didn't sound natural. Carl couldn't believe he was saying them. Daryl? Not making it out alive? Carl could only see it if he was sacrificing himself for someone else.

Daryl hung his head, hiding his eyes behind his overgrown bangs. Beth wanted to comfort him. "Yeah, I'm good, too. I ain't bit." He looked up; blue eyes raging like the sea. She knew he wanted to say something to her, but he couldn't. Not now. Not with Carl here. She would have to wait until later tonight. "We should get moving again."

He stood, thrusting his hand out to Beth who took it graciously. She dusted her behind off free from any dirt and shrugged on her backpack again. As they started walking again, Beth let her thoughts wander. She thought mostly about Michonne. She thought about her out there all alone with just her katana. At least Beth thought she was alone. The closest person Michonne had been to was Rick. But Rick and Carl had ended up together and he hadn't said anything about Michonne.

She doubted that Michonne would work with any of the Governor's puppets. Beth liked Michonne. She wondered if she was still alive or if she found a new group to be a part of. The uncertainty depressed her, but she fought against those thoughts. She couldn't let herself get low again.

Her thoughts shifted to baby Judith. Her heart ached for the child. She knew Judy didn't stand a chance out in the world like this. She was too young, too innocent. It brought tears to Beth's eyes that the little girl would never know what the real world was like. She wouldn't be able to watch football on TV, go to prom, or go to the movies with friends. All she would know is destruction and death and walkers. That wasn't a life for someone to grow up to.

Beth thought of Carl next. He was barely fourteen. His childhood wasn't over yet. This was easily one of the toughest periods of his lifetime and this world was only making it harder. "Beth?" Carl asked, clearing the fog from Beth's mind. "Are you okay? You're crying." Beth wiped at her cheeks feeling the tears streaking down her face. She hadn't even realized.

"I'm fine," she said, gazing at Daryl and Carl. They had stopped to look at her. "I was just thinking," Beth waved them off. "Let's keep going." They started walking without another word, Beth still lagging behind a few paces.

After a few moments, Daryl slowed his gate, walking beside Beth. Carl didn't seem to notice. "You okay?" He breathed into her ear. Beth nodded.

"I was thinking of Judith and Michonne. That's all," Beth murmured back. "Are you okay?" She asked him, shooting him a sideways glance. Daryl shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to talk about it. Beth wasn't going to push him. She knew Daryl had his limits and she didn't want to cross them.

His fingers brushed against her knuckles. Beth's eyes flickered to Carl. He seemed oblivious to their conversation. "I was thinking, too," Daryl hushed to her. Beth arched a brow, noting the smirk that decorated his thin lips. "I was thinking 'bout yah in that pretty little piece of lace we picked up at the mall," he leaned in to her, licking his lips.

Beth gasped and batted at his arm. Daryl kept his laughs low, not to alert Carl. She never heard him talk this way to her. But… she kind of liked it. It made her clench her thighs as she walked. "I bet you were," Beth teased, knowing well enough the lingerie was buried at the bottom of his bag. "You'd like that, huh?"

Daryl's eyes skirted over Carl. He was more than a few paces in front of them. "No, Beth. I'd love it. I wanna appreciate what's mine," he growled, slipping his hand into her back pocket and squeezing. Beth hopped, surprised at his audacity. She swatted his hand away. His mood was taking a total one-eighty from what it had just moments ago.

"Well," Beth sneered playfully. "You might get to appreciate that tonight. Only if you play nice," she smiled, lengthening her stride so she was walking next to Carl now. She felt bold, she felt brave. Carl looked to Beth, wrinkling his brow.

Carl was confused by her. She held her head high, lips pursed in a small smile. Her hair swished in her ponytail to her upbeat stride. She was beautiful; Carl wouldn't deny himself that fact. And he surely wouldn't deny himself a few peeks at her. Not when living in a world like this.

No one was quite like Beth. He thought back to when they first arrived at the prison. How they bonded and spent time together. They had lost what they had along the line. Carl still hoped that it was there, somewhere in the girl named Beth Greene. Carl tore his gaze away from her, not wanting to stare for too long and freak her out.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was smiling about something. He heard the whispers between her and Daryl; only making out the hum of their voices. He could accept that. They were stuck together for almost a week. Of course they would have bonded; became friends. They would have their jokes, their hardships that no one else would understand.

Carl wanted that with Beth. He wanted to feel her soft skin under his fingers. To kiss her lips, to call her his. To twine his fingers with hers and feel her squeeze his hand. He wanted happiness in a world of sadness. Beth was as close as he was going to get. He knew he could achieve it; make her his. He looked at her again, the small smile still on her lips. He made the promise to himself. He would do anything to win her. _Anything._

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**For those of you asking how Carl was going to complicate their relationship; does that answer your question? (; Also! For those of you who read Damn Your Eyes, I am currently STUCK. I am having bad writer's block on that story is actually unbelievable. I've tried writing the chapter over and over again but nothing works out. Hopefully I'll get it updated soon. Review please. Reviews really help with the story!**


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